CM Punk to make debut at UFC 203 against Mickey Gall

CM Punk will make his UFC debut against Mickey Gall on Sept. 10 at UFC 203 in Cleveland, the former WWE superstar announced Thursday on the "UFC Unfiltered" podcast.

Punk was signed by the UFC in December 2014 after spending nearly a decade wrestling in the WWE, but injuries forced him to avoid training, delaying his first venture into the Octagon.

"I got cleared by my doctors yesterday morning and I've been cheating a little bit on that rule anyways for the past month. It's nice to be healthy," Punk said, according to Damon Martin of FOX Sports.

Gall earned the right to face Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, by submitting Mike Jackson in early February.

"I think there's a lot of suspect people out there with their opinions that they're going to throw a can at me or whatever," Punk said. "They really haven't. Body weight, height, reach, everything, I think we're almost identical. Experience goes to him. He's fought in the Octagon and other places and I haven't. He's a nice guy. I talked to him very briefly at his debut and I felt bad that I had this setback and he's been on the sidelines waiting,

"I think he's a tough kid, but also his fights have been pretty short so you don't really get to see all of his skills. I kind of look at not so much the guy, but who they train with, and he trains at a great camp in New Jersey, the Miller brothers. I've got nothing but respect for those guys."

Punk and Gall's welterweight clash will add even more intrigue to an already stacked UFC 203 card. Hometown hero Stipe Miocic will defend his UFC heavyweight belt for the first time against Alistair Overeem, and former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum is set to battle Ben Rothwell.