Mickey Gall gets stitches for injury, fight with Punk still on for UFC 203

CM Punk’s UFC debut almost took another setback after his opponent Mickey Gall received a nasty cut over his eye just days from their UFC 203 fight.

Gall (2-0) had to receive stitches to stop the bleeding from a cut just above his right eye while training in preparation for his main card bout with Punk, who is making his UFC and MMA debut after nearly two years of delays and rescheduled fights.

The UFC announced Phil Brooks (CM Punk’s real name) back at UFC 181 in December 2014, but a series of injuries pushed back his Octagon debut ever since.

Punk injured his shoulder while training with Duke Roufus’s team in Milwaukee back in October 2015, and suffered another setback after doctor’s diagnosed him with a herniated disc in his back in February 2016, requiring him to undergo surgery once again before being cleared to fight.

Thankfully, Gall’s cut on his right eye was minor enough to not call off the fight, and their UFC 203 contest is still on for Saturday night, according to UFC officials.

Gall made a splash in the UFC after a remarkable 45 second debut victory over fellow UFC newcomer Mike Jackson, wherein the New Jersey native clocked Jackson with a nasty overhand before submitting him with a rear-naked choke less than a minute into the fight.

UFC president Dana White discovered the 24-year-old Gall on his ‘Looking for a Fight’ program back in January, where Gall beat his opponent by first round submission before calling out CM Punk in his post-fight speech.

He was signed shortly after and paired with Jackson, the winner of which would take on CM Punk in Punk’s UFC debut.

Stitches be damned- the fight will go on, as Gall and Punk remain set to fight on the main card of this weekend’s UFC 203.