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By Hunter Homistek



Mickey Gall knows he's in a weird situation.



It's not often a 1-0 professional fighter gets the call to compete in the world's premier fighting organization. And it's even less common when that debut comes with a supremely lucrative opportunity attached.



"You have to be skeptical of a kid who is 1-0 and is in the UFC," Gall told FloCombat. "It’s strange. It really is."



When the UFC announced the signing of former WWE superstar CM Punk in December of 2014, an opportunity presented itself. Punk, with zero professional fights, needed an opponent of equal experience. Gall fit the bill.



After impressing UFC President Dana White in his pro debut, Gall got the call from the UFC. A quick submission victory in his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 82 against Mike Jackson followed.



That performance, combined with his more recent efforts cross-training with some of the sport's elite fighters at American Top Team, helped silence the critics and established Gall as more than just a warm body for Punk to demolish.



"There are guys who have put in a lot of time," Gall said. "I’ve put in a lot of time, too. I’ve done this since I was 16. When we went down to ATT, I felt like a lot of guys were like, ‘Let’s see what this Mickey Gall kid is all about,’ and I made a lot of friends down there by going out there and showing that I am of that caliber."



Gall extended these relationships and continued to bolster his reputation during the recent UFC Athlete Summit in Las Vegas. There, he joined other young UFC fighters to learn more about the sport, both inside and outside the cage.



Money management classes, lectures about banned substances, and even a few workouts followed.



"It was cool, man. I really loved it," Gall said. "The UFC is awesome at that. They really take care of and care about the fighters. I’ve heard people say otherwise, but so far, my impression is great.



"I was kind of nervous. I was afraid it’d be like college, like boring lectures and stuff, but it was all pertinent to my life."



Most fighters don't jump right to the chef's table for a private dining experience. But here he is, preparing every day to face CM Punk in what will undoubtedly be one of the most watched events in UFC history. The numbers will be massive. Having a 2-0 fighter in such a scenario might not seem justified or fair, but Gall is more than happy to prove detractors wrong where it matters most.



"I’m sure some people are thinking, ‘This dude doesn’t belong here. He hasn’t put in the time to be here,’ but it’ll all be proven in due time," Gall said.



It begins with Punk, a matchup which has thus far failed to materialize. Gall was originally slated to face the former wrestler at UFC 199. But the fight was postponed after Punk sustained a back injury.



Gall believes the matchup is close to materializing once more.



"I’ll say I’m 90 percent sure it’s going to be this summer," Gall said. "I think it’s going to be somewhere around July. I don’t know what event. But as far as I know, the fight is definitely going to happen, and I think it’ll be this summer."



When the fight does finally take place, Gall looks forward to the opportunity to use Punk as a platform to showcase his own skills. Gall said it won't matter whether Punk takes six months or six years to get ready for this fight; a beatdown is coming is way.



"There’s nothing that can save him. It could be tomorrow, next week, it could be a year from now. I’m just going to keep getting better," Gall said. "There’s nothing he can do that’s going to stop me from doing what I’m doing and what’s going to happen come fight time."