SUMMARY
- Mike Perry is an exciting brawler who has fought for UFC and BKFC.
- Here are some of the best fights of his career.
Mike Perry is one of the most colorful personalities in the fight game. Nicknamed ‘Platinum’, Perry always made headlines for his over-the-top antics and somewhat controversial statements. However, many fans often forget that Mike is also an amazing striker. While he was not the strongest grappler, the 32-year-old was more than capable of holding his own with the best on the feet during his UFC run.
Perry currently holds an MMA record of 14-8 and had his last fight against Daniel Rodriguez in April 2021. He had 15 fights in UFC, out of which, Perry holds 7 wins and 8 losses. Although he has a sub-500 record inside the Octagon, Perry also holds some notable wins over fighters like Jake Ellenberger, Paul Felder, Alex Oliveira, and Mickey Gall. However, being in the UFC did not bring the results for him that he wanted. Hence, he made a move to BKFC.
Bare-knuckle fighting has a certain rawness to it and it suited Mike Perry’s personality. Platinum made his bare-knuckle debut against Julian Lane at BKFC: KnuckleMania 2 in February 2022. Perry got the win against Lane via unanimous decision. He continued his great run and beat superstars like Michael Page, Luke Rockhold, and Eddie Alvarez. So what are some of the most memorable fights of Mike’s career? Let’s find out.
5. Mike Perry vs. Vicente Luque
Mike Perry took on Vincente Luque at UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 on August 10, 2019. The bout went all three rounds and ended with the Brazilian fighter winning via split decision. While Perry did not win the bout, it was certainly an entertaining one. The win here would have propelled Mike into a great position in the welterweight division. Although he ended up in the loser’s column, Perry gave an excellent account of himself.
As per UFC stats, Perry even landed more strikes! He landed 116 total strikes with 87 significant strikes. Luque, on the other hand, managed 85 total strikes with 84 of them being significant. Perry even had 3:20 minutes of control time on the ground. But, it was Vicente who attempted one submission. The fight could have gone either way and one judge even scored it 29-28 for Perry. It showed fans that Mike is someone who won’t lose easily.
4. Mike Perry vs. Alex Oliveira
Alex Oliveira is a great all-round fighter who goes under the radar. Much like the former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, Alex is also a brilliant grappler. With 15 KO wins, Alex “Cowboy” Pereira has 5 submission wins too. So, many expected him to roll over Mike Perry with ease. However, that was not the case. Perry had such a smart game plan that Oliveira did not even manage a single takedown.
Mike managed a total of 75 strikes and 65 of them were significant. Cowboy, on the other hand, managed only 50 strikes in total and only 48 significant strikes. Throughout the 15 minutes, both fighters managed to land some big strikes that entertained the fans. However, it was evident that Perry was the better fighter in the Octagon and he won the contest via a unanimous decision in April 2019.
3. Mikey Perry vs. Paul Felder
Paul Felder is one of the most underrated fighters of all time. While his 17-6 MMA record does not reflect the greatness of his skills, Felder was highly regarded by his peers. Hence, the win against Felder remains the best one of Mike Perry’s career. The bout took place in July 2018 and Perry ultimately won the contest via a controversial split decision.
It was Perry’s grappling stats that ultimately gave him the judges’ nod. He managed 2 takedowns and had 3:02 minutes of control time. In terms of strikes, Mike landed 62 significant strikes and 66 strikes in total. After the 3 grueling rounds, Felder landed 64 strikes with 56 significant ones. While one judge thought Paul Felder won the bout, the other two scored the bout for Mike “Platinum” Perry.
2. Mike Perry vs. Luke Rockhold
During his prime, the former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold was an elite fighter. His striking was nearly impossible for fighters to read and he has wins over legends like Chris Weidman, Michael Bisping, and Lyoto Machida. However, after losing 3 back-to-back fights, he found himself in BKFC. On April 29, 2023, Rockhold took on Mike Perry at BKFC 41.
Perry applied pressure on Luke right away. Lately, Rockhold’s chin had become compromised. Mike knew that and came forward without any fear. Platinum knew that one good shot on the chin could end the bout. However, it nearly backfired as Rockhold managed to land a vicious counterpunch. But, Perry never backed down and kept on coming forward. Ultimately, Rockhold retired from the contest due to a lip injury and broken teeth.
1. Mike Perry vs Michael Venom Page
Current UFC welterweight fighter and former Bellator star Michael Venom Page crossed paths with Mike Perry inside the BKFC ring in August 2022. For those who are unaware, MVP has an illustrious past with kickboxing and his striking skills are awe-inspiring. However, fighting bare-knuckle is not everyone’s cup of tea. The impact of bare knuckles causes the skin to break more easily than usual. Hence, even the most skilled fighters find it difficult to survive in bare-knuckle fighting.
Mike Perry took advantage of that and kept himself within MVP’s striking range. While it caused Perry to take a lot of damage, Platinum also managed to land some heavy counterstrikes and managed to knock MVP down in the first round itself. The bout went till 6 rounds and Perry ultimately won the contest via a unanimous decision. While Perry went on to fight in BKFC several times afterward, MVP never returned and went on to sign for UFC.
