It appears “The Best in the World” will not be making a return to the wrestling ring anytime soon.

Regarding the timeline for his comeback, CM Punk provided an update while speaking with Caroline Pearce backstage at UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria, hosted at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, on the evening of Saturday, February 17, 2024.

“You know, fingers crossed, yeah, I was going to headline WrestleMania,” Punk said. “Obviously, now I’m not. But, you know, it’s sports. It’s what happens to athletes. Mentally, I think it’s harder because the physical pain is whatever. But I look at it just like a bump in the road. This is an occupational hazard. It happens and I’ll be back bigger and better. I’m a clumsy idiot. I tore my left triceps about two years ago, so the right one was jealous. I’m like an old cobbler. car. I’m like a 72 Nova, you know what I mean? We have to change some parts every now and again. So once we fix up all the parts, the engine’s still strong, we’ll still be good to go.”

He continued, “We’re thinking maybe six to eight months, but I’m not really in a rush to get back to compete. I’m in a rush to get healthy. I’m in a rush to get better. The sooner I do that, the better I’ll be when I come back.”