Error code: %{errorCode}
How Mike Perry became a bare-knuckle boxing star after UFC exit
Mike Perry will make his highly anticipated return to the bare-knuckle ring after almost 18 months out to take on former UFC star Jeremy Stevens in New Jersey this weekend.
The American has become one of the Bare Knuckle Fight Championship's (BKFC) biggest stars and has clearly found his calling in boxing without gloves. He is undefeated in five fights against high-level strikers and former UFC champions.
Perry has found something of a career revival, benefitting from the rise in popularity of bare-knuckle boxing after a less-than-favourable end to his MMA career in the UFC.
So, in honour of Perry becoming the star his personality and fighting style demand, here is a look back at how he got here.
UFC career
Perry made his UFC debut nearly 10 years ago in 2016 and was a genuine prospect after winning his first seven professional fights by knockout.
The Florida native had an infectious personality and all-action fight style that endeared him to many UFC fans.
He made an equally promising start to his UFC career, winning four of his first five fights all by knockout, only losing a decision to Alan Jouban.
But victories over Jake Ellenberger and Alex Reyes in 2017 would be the last back-to-back wins Perry would claim in the UFC.
It looked as though Perry might be setting himself up for a winning run after beating Mickey Gall in 2020, but two more losses followed to relative unknowns Tim Means and Daniel Rodriguez.
Between the end of 2017 and his last fight in 2021, Perry would have a record of 3-7, unable to meet the step up in opposition, as he lost to the likes of Donald Cerrone , Vincent Luque and Geoff Neall.
After Perry’s contract with the UFC expired in 2021, it was announced that he had decided to depart from the organisation and signed a contract with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
BKFC
In February 2022, Perry made his BKFC middleweight debut against Julian Lane, another former MMA fighter.
Perry dropped Lane in the first round on his way to a unanimous decision win and fight of the night award. He showed an iron chin and resolve to get his hand raised.
Perry is not the most technically gifted fighter, but his willingness to absorb punishment to get close to his opponents has found him success and favour with the fans.
The American then took on one of the most highly rated strikers in the MMA world, Michael ‘Venom’ Page, in August of 2022.
Despite his impressive performance on his debut, Perry was the underdog heading into the fight because of Page’s impressive style and power.
But Perry’s relentless advance proved too much for Page as his hands-down explosive style proved his undoing, his explosivity fading in the later rounds. Perry began to hunt his man down, roughing him up on the inside, and claimed a narrow majority decision against a man who would go on to be a UFC star.
It was another step up, both in size and calibre, next for Perry, who booked himself a fight with former UFC middleweight world champion Luke Rockhold.
Rockhold, whilst not in the Hall of Fame, is one of the UFC’s biggest stars of the last 15 years, with career best wins over Lyoto Machida, Chris Weidman and Hall of Famer, Michael Bisping.
But Perry proved this pedigree means nothing in bare-knuckle boxing. On the eye test, Rockhold was the much more polished fighter, but Perry charged the ex-UFC champion, and Rockhold looked visibly uncomfortable with the intensity.
Perry appeared unbothered by anything coming back at him and started unloading on Rockhold in the second round, until he forced Rockhold to retire with less than a minute to go in the round.
Now a Bona fide bare-knuckle star – Perry took on another former UFC champion when he faced Eddie Alvarez, who famously fell to Conor McGregor in 2016 and had recently defeated Chad Mendes on his BKFC debut.
Perry once again proved that toughness is one of the most important traits a BKFC fighter can have. After two close rounds with Alvarez, where both men’s faces got opened up, Alvarez could not continue due to the damage sustained and was forced to retire at the end of the second round.
After toppling two former UFC champions, Perry made a quick return and devastatingly dispatched Thiago Alves in the first round of their April 2024 fight.
Perry took a hiatus from BKFC to step up and take on Jake Paul in the boxing ring last year. Although the fight was good for his brand and star status, Perry looked out of his depth with gloves on and fell to a sixth-round stoppage against Paul.
But he will now return to facing former UFC stars when he takes on Jeremy Stephens this weekend in the hopes of extending his unbeaten run to six fights and remaining one of the biggest stars on the BKFC roster.
Stephens will be one of Perry’s biggest tests – the former UFC featherweight is undefeated in three bare-knuckle fights. But Perry has risen to every BKFC challenge so far, and is unlikely to take a backwards step when he returns to the ring on Saturday night.
Esther Lin/MVP
Watch the biggest fights and best fighters with a DAZN subscription
A DAZN subscription provides access to over 185 fights a year across a range of combat sports from the world's best promoters.
For pricing and more information, click here