CM Punk is staying busy outside of WWE while his return to SmackDown gets sorted out.
CFFC — Cage Fury Fighting Championships — announced that Punk is coming back to their commentary booth for CFFC 156: Stanford on June 26. This isn’t his first time calling action for the MMA promotion, and clearly the relationship is solid enough that they keep bringing him back.
For those who don’t know, CFFC is a legitimate MMA feeder promotion that has produced UFC-level talent over the years. Having CM Punk on commentary is a real get for them. He’s one of the most recognizable names in combat sports crossover history, love him or hate him, and his MMA background — even with the rocky professional record — gives him actual credibility in that world in a way most WWE guys wouldn’t have.
On the WWE side, Punk has been off TV since WrestleMania 42, where he dropped a match to Roman Reigns. That loss essentially wrapped up their program, and since then he hasn’t had a consistent presence on WWE programming. Plans are in place for him to return to SmackDown, but nothing has aired yet.
So this CFFC appearance fills that gap. Punk has always had a foot in the MMA world going back to his UFC run, and stepping back into a commentary role for a promotion he’s worked with before is a natural fit for him while WWE figures out the next chapter.
CM Punk doing commentary is something wrestling fans either love or find polarizing — same as everything involving him, honestly. The guy generates a reaction no matter what he does, and that’s exactly why CFFC wants him in that seat. He draws eyes to their product from the wrestling audience, and the combat sports crowd already knows who he is.
The timing is interesting too. Punk returning to SmackDown has been rumored and anticipated for a while now, and this CFFC booking lands right in the middle of that waiting period. Whether WWE uses his CFFC appearance to build any kind of momentum heading into his on-screen return remains to be seen, but it keeps his name in the conversation.
CFFC 156 goes down June 26. If you’re a Punk fan and want to see him in action before he resurfaces on WWE television, that’s your spot.
