Mike Perry has gradually become one of the most beloved prizefighters in the world following his move to bare-knuckle boxing. A middling welterweight for most of his UFC career, the fighter has managed to do a complete 180 on his career since leaving the promotion. As such, let’s see how and why that is the case.
For the most part, Mike Perry’s UFC career may feel like a distant memory to some. Having essentially been kicked out after an inconsistent run, ‘Platinum’ ended his UFC career with 7 wins and 8 losses. Although he did fight some big names throughout his career, Perry never looked like being a ranked mainstay or even a potential title contender for that matter.
During his UFC run, Perry fought against the likes of Daniel Rodriguez, Geoff Neal, Vicente Luque, Donald Cerrone, and Paul Felder. Notably, at this time, Perry showed glimpses of his brilliance, winning Performance of the Night bonuses for his KO wins over Jake Ellenberger and Ale Reyes. Further, he would also win the Fight of the Night against Alex Oliveira and Vicente Luque, which further helped his stock.
Mike Perry’s BKFC run so far
Following back-to-back losses to Daniel Rodriguez and Tim Means, Mike Perry finally parted ways with the UFC. Despite his fan-friendly way of fighting, it was clear that there was no place for Perry among the elite welterweights in the division. In hindsight, it was possibly the best thing that could have happened to Perry at the time. After a fight at Triad Combat, Perry then came across the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
For his first BKFC fight, Perry took on Julian Lane, a former two-time Ultimate Fighter contestant. With a unanimous decision win against Lane, Miek would then go up against former Bellator and now UFC man Michael ‘Venom’ Page. Despite the fight going into extra time, the 32-year-old prevailed, this time with a majority decision. Although his fights were going the distance, fans loved every bit of the violence Perry brought.
Following a win against Luke Rockhold, Perry was awarded a $8 million contract by the BKFC and effectively made the face of the company. In addition to that, Mike Perry’s faceoff with Conor McGregor at BKFC 41 took social media by storm. Naturally, the Irishman’s involvement garnered a lot of attention to the BKFC and Perry. Thereafter, Mike would go on to beat former UFC lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez as well.
How has Mike Perry become must-see TV?
All things considered, Mike Perry’s rise has been something of a joy to witness. Living up to the promise of unbridled violence, followed with some out-of-whack statements, Mike’s craziness is one of his biggest selling points and one that has made him dear in the eyes of fans. Moroever, his appearances, and involvement with other promotions like Misfits Boxing, have further helped his reputation.
At one point, Perry was touted to face Logan Paul and Dillon Danis as well. Since his win against Eddie Alvarez, he had shifted his attention to wanting to fight Darren Till, who seemingly would prefer to fight in normal boxing instead. As a result, Mike was given Thiago Alves, a man that he was intended to face in the UFC. At Knucklemania 4, Perry capped off a brilliant performance with a first-round KO of Alves, bagging $600,000 in the process.
The King Of Violence – @PlatinumPerry continues his undefeated reign and moves on to 5-0! pic.twitter.com/j8h2Ujkz1q
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) April 28, 2024
As BKFC President David Feldman revealed in the post-event press conference, the event had 12 million live viewers worldwide. Thus, it only speaks volumes about the growth of the promotion and the drawing power of their star man, Mike Perry. All in all, the Florida native has seemingly found his knack with bare-knuckle boxing and has now become a bonafide superstar in his own right. Long may it continue.
