CHICAGO — CM Punk‘s second UFC appearance was something his first was not — a fair fight.
That said, it wasn’t always pretty. And it did not result in a victory.
The former WWE star, whose birth name is Phil Brooks, suffered a relatively one-sided decision loss to Mike Jackson at UFC 225 on Saturday night at United Center. All three judges scored it a shutout for Jackson, 30-26.
Punk’s second appearance came 21 months after a disastrous pro debut in Cleveland. In September 2016, he fought welterweight prospect Mickey Gall. Punk was taken down immediately, roughed up and submitted at the 2:14 mark.
The Chicago native, who signed with the UFC in 2014, actually got to show some technique Saturday night. He landed a couple of overhand rights and worked a successful takedown in the first round. In the second round, he very briefly worked a triangle setup off his back.
Jackson, 33, started to really have his way in the second and third rounds. A Houston native, he has only two MMA appearances but has boxed and kickboxed professionally. He had an easy time locating Punk with the jab and racked up offense with ground and pound.
The home crowd urged Punk on from the beginning, but his nose was bloodied in the first, and he looked tired in the later rounds. He continued to come forward, however, even after Jackson landed several solid right hands.
The 170-pound bout came just four days after Punk was found not liable in a multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit brought against him by WWE physician Dr. Chris Amann, who accused Punk of defaming him in a podcast in 2014.
Before the bout, Punk told ESPN he intended to continue his career regardless of what happened Saturday night.