5 possible moves for CM Punk after UFC 225

It's fight week in Chicago ladies and gentlemen, and in five nights, CM Punk aka Phil Brooks will step inside of the octagon for the second time as he competes with Mike Jackson. Both men possess 0-1 professional mixed martial arts records, but when that door shuts, it won't matter. It'll be two men, battling it out, and thousands of pro wrestling fans will be tuning in to see it alongside the MMA community.

Sportskeeda is the one-stop destination for latest WWE rumors and wrestling news.

However, depending on the outcome, we could see Punk go in several different directions once the dust has settled on this weekend's event. It's no secret that there are a number of different avenues that he could go down, but as we've just noted, a win or a loss could change everything for his future.

With that being said, here are five possible moves for CM Punk after UFC 225.

Bellator

This one could be an option whether he wins or he loses because let's face it, Dana White isn't going to give him too many more opportunities. There's been a hell of a lot less promotion heading into Punk's second fight than the first one, and while Dana will want to milk the cash cow, it'd be hard to justify booking him again regardless of whether or not he's 0-1 or 1-1.

Of course, there's one man who would be more than happy to call out the former WWE champion: and that's Aaron 'The Joker' Chalmers. At 4-0 he's already starting to build a record for himself, and while he hasn't beaten many people of note, you can only beat what's put in front of you.

Chalmers wants it, Bellator would surely want it, and Punk should want it too.

UFC

As we mentioned in the previous slide, there's no guarantee that Dana White is going to want to keep Punk around. There are certainly pros and cons, but in our mind, one thing is for certain: if he wants to continue being a fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he needs to beat Mike Jackson. In fact, we'd argue that he needs to do so decisively.

Jackson will likely pose some problems to Punk, but aside from that, you have to question who he could end up facing if he takes himself to a 1-1 record. While there are plenty of guys out there who would happily take a fight with him, you need someone that you can market against Punk. Jackson fought Gall so there's a history there, and Gall was always going to be a stud and he had some charisma.

All In

CM Punk is doing an autograph signing twenty-four hours before All In, in the same city that the event will take place - and he's also rumored to have been backstage during the recent All In press conference. Surely that can't be a coincidence, and given the nature of his commitments to other promotions and companies, there's no real reason for him not to appear.

He'd be in his hometown, he'd get an absolutely huge pop, and there are several guys who are already scheduled to appear that he could have some kind of showdown with. It doesn't need to be anything big or spectacular, but even hearing his music play and seeing him come out would be a cool enough moment.

Professional wrestling fans miss him, and they deserve to see him inside the squared circle one more time.

Retirement

As many people know, Punk is a man of many talents. He writes Marvel comics, he seems to be a semi-professional Twitter king, and he happens to be pretty good at pro wrestling and, to a lesser extent, MMA. So with all of these eyes on him as he prepares to fight at UFC 225, what if he just decides to call it a day and quietly ride off into the sunset?

He has enough money to last ten lifetimes, and he seems to be incredibly happy alongside former WWE superstar AJ Lee. The two live a pretty chilled out life away from the hustle and bustle of the media spotlight, and perhaps they want to live a normal life with their adorable dog, Larry.

It wouldn't be the most outrageous thing in the world, and he kind of deserves some privacy - especially after this trial he's currently being forced to endure.

WWE

We know, we know.

CM Punk returning to WWE seemed incredibly unlikely a few years ago, and that's still the case in the present day. However, the Straight Edge Superstar is still one of the most beloved wrestlers of the last few decades, and there's a reason why arenas around the world continue to chant his name.

It won't be easy and it won't happen overnight, but Punk returning, if only for a one-off appearance, doesn't seem all too ridiculous. After all, Bret Hart summoned up the courage to come back, Ultimate Warrior returned for his Hall of Fame induction, and Sting was even able to swallow his pride and make the jump for a match at WrestleMania 31.

Time heals all wounds, Phil. We want you back.