21 months after signing his UFC deal, CM Punk finally stepped inside the Octagon for his first ever professional MMA fight tonight at UFC 203 in Cleveland, Ohio and it was short and not with a happy ending.

The former WWE champion walked out to the popular theme song Cult of Personality with a big pop from the crowd. Punk smiled as he walked through the backstage hallway prior to making his way out to the arena and then soaked in the crowd before he stepped in the Octagon.

As soon as the referee told them to fight, Mickey Gall immediately took down Punk and proceeded with some heavy ground and pound and then took over his back. Punk never managed to recover and Gall got in a rear naked choke win at 2:14 in the first round.

In the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Punk said that in life you either go big or go home. “I’ll be back believe it not,” Punk said, saying that this was a blast to experience. He told everyone to follow their dreams even though it sounds preachy coming from someone who just got beat up.