Mickey Gall is set to return to the Octagon at UFC 302 to take on Bassil Hafez. The 32-year-old made his way to the UFC through Dana White’s ‘Looking for a Fight’ reality show, where he impressed the UFC boss enough to earn himself a UFC contract. Fans also know him for being the debut opponent for WWE star CM Punk in his short-lived UFC foray and Gall handed him his first professional loss in MMA.

Gall’s most recent appearance inside the Octagon came at UFC 273 in 2022, where he suffered a stoppage loss in the first round. Now, as he gears up to get back into the win column at UFC 302, let’s take a look and learn all we know about Gall’s ethnicity, origins, and more.

Where is Mickey Gall from?

Mickey Gall was born in Green Brook, New Jersey on January 22, 1992. According to information available online, Gall began his combat sports training in boxing at the age of 13 and made his way to Brazilian jiu-jitsu 3 years later at 16. Other than combat sports, Gall was also a stand-out athlete as a wrestler and football captain at Watchung Hills Regional High School.

At 19, he made his way to MMA while attending the prestigious Rutgers University in New Jersey as a full-time student. Gall has revealed in past interviews that while he was in university, he had to work as a bread truck driver for Walmart to pay for his jiu-jitsu and MMA training.

Gall compiled a 3-0 record as an amateur and made his professional debut in 2015 for the ‘Dead Serious MMA’ promotion. His fight against Ron Templeton was featured on the ‘Lookin for a Fight’ reality show. After pulling off a submission win in the first round, Gall made a call-out of CM Punk, which piqued Dana White’s interest.

He was given a chance to prove himself under the bright lights of the Octagon in his UFC debut against Mike Jackson in 2016. He finished the fight with another submission in the first round, leading to his eventual clash against CM Punk. However, it’s interesting to note that Jackson was also Punk’s last fight before he left the world of MMA.

While Gall has had a rough outing in his last 2-UFC fights, his fight against CM Punk is what put him on the map, and in a past interview, he revealed why he called out the WWE star in front of Dana White!

Gall reveals why he called out CM Punk after his first professional win  

In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun after securing his ticket to the UFC, Mickey Gall revealed that he planned to call out CM Punk after he discovered that Dana White would be filming an episode of his reality show during his first fight.

Gall revealed, “I was tossing up a Hail Mary a little bit. Dana White’s here, and immediately, I had to make the most of it. That was the only guy I could fight.”

Despite facing setbacks in his last two UFC fights, Gall remains a compelling figure in the sport. His candidness about his journey, including the calculated risk he took by calling out CM Punk, showcases his determination and strategic thinking. As he prepares to step back into the Octagon at UFC 302, fans are eager to see if Gall can return to the win column and continue his unique and inspiring MMA career!