The story of CM Punk’s defeat to by Mike Jackson has been well reported. We all know what happened, and we all know the criticism Mike Jackson faced after letting the result go all the way to a judges decision.
Jackson outclassed CM Punk throughout the fight, despite Punk showing a lot of heart, and could have got the finish completed numerous times as he rained punches down. In the end, we got a 30-26 scorecard from all three judges, and finally Jackson has revealed why he chose not to end the fight early.
Matt Jackson was a huge favorite in the UFC betting stakes, following CM Punk’s defeat in his first fight back at UFC 203, and said the reason he didn’t go for the knockout was simply down to compassion.
With the fight in CM Punk’s hometown Chicago, the newcomer to UFC revealed that he didn’t want to “brutalize” his opponent in front of his friends and family, while also considering that the result would have a major impact on his career if he was to knock him out early.
Jackson admitted he knew he was going to win as soon as he looked at CM Punk, stating, “I knew before the fight that it was going to be an easy fight. I said all of this. Everything that happened I said it was going to happen. When I looked in his eyes I saw a nice guy. I saw someone – and I don’t think he was trying to prove anything to his fans, he was doing it for himself and that is what you are supposed to do it for.”
It’s now two defeats in two for CM Punk, and even going the distance, that loss won’t have done him any favours.
Jackson went on to explain that as soon as he landed the first punch on the former WWE Champion, the harsh reality of being out of his depth struck, his eyes lighting up and an awakening that it was going to be a long, hard fight.
It’s a bitter blow for CM Punk, with even the compassion of CM Punk not helping matters with Dana White, President of the UFC, who has since gone on to say the 39-year-old will probably never fight in the UFC again.
Dana White called it “a wrap” for Punk, and that certainly looks like it will remain the case with a record now hitting 0-2.
