CM Punk will make his first public professional appearance of 2026 later this month, but it will not be inside a WWE ring; it will be at an MMA event.
The seven-time WWE world champion is set to return to the commentary booth for Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) 156 on June 26 at the Hard Rock Casino Rockford in Illinois, just outside his hometown of Chicago.
CFFC confirmed the news this week, announcing that CM Punk will once again join the broadcast team after several years as a colour commentator with the promotion.
“For the first time in 2026, the legendary CM Punk will return to the Cage Fury Fighting Championships broadcast team,” CFFC said in a statement. “The seven-time WWE world champion and two-time UFC veteran will make his long-awaited homecoming to the booth for ‘CFFC 156: Stanford Lewis’ on Friday, June 26 from Illinois’ Hard Rock Casino Rockford, just outside of Punk’s hometown of Chicago.”
Punk will be joined on commentary by CFFC General Manager and veteran MMA journalist John Morgan.
CM Punk’s History With CFFC
The former WWE Champion has worked with the mixed martial arts promotion since 2018, serving as a commentator during periods away from professional wrestling and throughout his time in AEW. Since returning to WWE in 2023, however, his appearances with CFFC have become less frequent.
The booking is also notable because CM Punk has not appeared on WWE television since the Raw after WrestleMania in April, when he shared a segment with Cody Rhodes.
While WWE has not indicated when Punk will next appear on television, his return to the CFFC broadcast booth will mark his first public professional engagement of the year.
