CM Punk Attends Ronda Rousey’s MMA Return Bout With Gina Carano Amid Ongoing WWE absence

CM Punk was spotted in attendance at the Intuit Dome for the highly anticipated Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight on Netflix.

CM Punk Attends Ronda Rousey’s MMA Return Bout With Gina Carano Amid Ongoing WWE absence

CM Punk attended Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight [via Netflix and WWE]

CM Punk has been off WWE programming since the Monday after losing the World Heavyweight Title to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42. But he did make it to the Intuit Dome for the Ronda Rousey/Gina Carano fight on Saturday. The WWE icon was in attendance for these MMA pioneers marking their returns to the sport.

Prior to the fight, Punk was asked to share his thoughts on who he was rooting for. ‘The Best in the World’ unanimously backed Rousey, who ultimately proved to be the superior woman inside that hexagon this weekend. The former UFC Bantamweight Champion dispatched a 44-year-old Carano in a first-round submission via armbar just 17 seconds into the bout.

Rousey and Carano shared a warm embrace afterwards. ‘The Baddest Woman on the Planet’ also quashed the speculation of her future endeavors in MMA by saying she’s got to make more babies and take care of the household. Speaking of Punk, he recently shared clips of his training session with Jey Ferruggia.

‘The Second City Saint’ is constantly working on staying in the best possible shape as his fans continue to wonder about his WWE absence. It was clarified by Fightful that the 47-year-old has undergone a scheduling change in his dates with WWE. He’s currently listed on the promotional material for the company’s upcoming loop of shows in Europe slated to start on May 28 in Liverpool.

CM Punk was a part of the European leg of WWE shows last year, and the biggest match he wrestled there was with Gunther. It’s unclear whether the ‘Straight Edge Superstar’ will make the trip overseas this time around despite currently being advertised for the tour.

Some fans are speculating that Punk might’ve requested a break from WWE in June due to it being his wedding anniversary month and would likely want to stay back in the US with his wife. It’s not a reported reason behind his ongoing hiatus but something that the few on the internet have mentioned as a possibility.

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What could be a big-time feud for CM Punk heading into SummerSlam?

Considering CM Punk remains absent from WWE television for the remainder of May and the entire month of June, even though he’s currently listed on 4 of the 5 Raw tapings in June, his next best shot to return would be the 07/06 edition of Raw in his hometown of Chicago. He could obviously be back beforehand should the creative plans call for it, but there’s currently nothing on that front.

CM Punk
CM Punk [via- GQ]

One could only take some wild guesses about who he might end up facing at this year’s SummerSlam. Some would think that’s where he finally gets to lock horns with Cody Rhodes, given how the two interacted on Raw after WrestleMania 42. ‘The American Nightmare’ told Punk he was ready to throw it down with the latter whenever he said so.

It’s certainly a big-time and, realistically, one of the few remaining dream feuds in today’s landscape of WWE. Rhodes and Punk got to share the ring with each other briefly when they were the final two in the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble match. Back then, the former AEW EVP outmaneuvered the Chicagoan by dumping him to the floor and therefore punching his ticket to WrestleMania 40.

In the beginning of 2025, they engaged in a war of words on Raw before the Royal Rumble. It appeared as if CM Punk would go on to challenge Cody Rhodes for the WWE title at WrestleMania 41. However, it didn’t happen. The fans definitely want their feud to materialize on television sooner than later.

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