UFC 203 was the most important event of Mickey Gall's career, but the welterweight prospect is adamant that it will not be his defining moment as a UFC fighter.
Gall, who went up against former WWE superstar and MMA rookie CM Punk, scored another first-round submission and extended his win streak to 3-0. The 24-year-old was scouted on Dana White's 'Looking for a Fight' YouTube show after calling out Punk in his post-fight interview.
Punk, real name Phil Brooks, signed with the UFC in 2014 with no professional experience to his name and found a home at Roufusport MMA. Punk was largely ridiculed for the move, but many fighters and fans took a liking to the 37-year-old as his debut approached.
Gall, who trains out of Miller Brothers MMA in New Jersey, knew he was taking on an amateur but made sure not to underestimate Brooks when the cage door closed.
"I don't want to be disparaging, but I was fighting an amateur," Gall said at the post-fight press conference, per Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting. "So I 100-percent need to prove myself still. That's why I'm excited to get going now. Now the real work, now the real fights. Every fight is a fight, and he's training at Roufusport, a great place, (so) I do feel a sense of accomplishment, sure. I came in there, I loved seeing the crowd, all of that stuff, but yeah, I don't feel like I beat a great fighter. I beat a fighter, not a great fighter."
Gall has dedicated his life to mixed martial arts and began training at 16-years-old. The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt has been beating up fighters more experienced than Punk his entire career.
"I know two-year guys. I beat up 10-year guys. I've been doing it since I was a teenager, so I knew what to expect. I knew I'd be able to dominate," Gall said.
Gall called out 20-year-old prospect Sage Northcutt after the bout, vowing to 'punch the spikes out his head' in the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. Gall is now 3-0 as a professional and has won all of his fights via first-round stoppage.
