Mike Perry has acknowledged Jeremy Stephens` public desire for a high-profile BKFC fight between the two UFC veterans. However, Perry indicates that there`s a disconnect between Stephens` words and the practicalities of making the fight happen.
Stephens has been vocal about wanting to fight Perry since his victory over Eddie Alvarez at KnuckleMania 5 in January. Even with his upcoming return to the UFC in May, Stephens continues to express interest in a matchup with Perry.
According to Perry, the main obstacle is Stephens` weight demands, which Perry considers unreasonable.
“These guys,” Perry remarked in an interview, “these smaller fighters call me out and suggest I cut down to 165 or 170 pounds. Jeremy even mentioned on a podcast about making me cut to 170, with weight clauses preventing me from gaining more than 10 percent after weigh-in. That would mean I couldn`t exceed 190 pounds after weighing in at 170 – assuming I could even reach 170 after my recent fight where I aimed for 200.”
Perry believes 185 pounds is his ideal weight class, citing the level of competition and his fighting style. “I think 185 is a great weight class for me. There`s a lot of action there. If you want me to face a certain type of striker, I need that weight to apply pressure and deliver powerful strikes with my bare hands, like I did against Thiago Alves. He was considered the best bare-knuckle boxer before me. He had some bare-knuckle wins, but no one had dominated him like I did.”
“Nobody has done what I did to him. I defeated Thiago, and they stopped the fight in a minute, but he was down within 40 seconds. One shot. One landed punch in that bare-knuckle ring, and I put him down.”
Perry last competed in a boxing match against Jake Paul in July and hasn`t fought in BKFC for almost a year since his win over Alves at KnuckleMania 4. The 33-year-old remains undefeated in BKFC and has become a prominent figure in the sport with victories over Alvarez, Alves, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, and current UFC welterweight Michael Page.
Currently, Perry is focused on promoting Dirty Boxing 1, scheduled for this Saturday in Miami. While involved in this event, Perry is also looking ahead to his next fight and provided an update on his BKFC return.
“Yes, my managers are in discussions with Dave [Feldman, BKFC president],” Perry explained. “They are exploring options. At this level, the negotiations are about money. Anyone fighting me, and myself, will be well-compensated. These deals take time to finalize. They are giving me sufficient time to prepare since my last fight was the Jake Paul boxing match. It didn`t go as planned, and they`re allowing me to process that loss and rebuild my hunger and drive so that when I return to the ring, I`ll compete at my best.”
“We want to deliver an exciting fight for the fans. It needs to be against a name that makes sense for the organization, the fans, my opponent, and myself. It`s still a matter of timing. My manager has indicated we`re aiming for May, though it`s not officially announced yet. So, we hope for May, and ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry will be back soon.”
Perry recognizes his value to BKFC and to potential opponents. “Platinum” understands that any fight he is involved in will generate significant interest, so he is aiming high.
“I would like to face Jake Paul in Dirty Boxing, or Conor McGregor in bare-knuckle or Dirty Boxing,” Perry stated. “People might say I`m just chasing ‘money fights,’ but the reality is, I am a ‘money fight.’ Fighters who earn $25,000 per fight are calling me out. I understand that. The only bare-knuckle fighters interested in fighting me are those already in bare-knuckle whose names don`t draw much attention.”
“My next fight will be a significant event. When it’s announced that ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry is returning to the ring, it will generate buzz. Feldman is telling me that if a certain big name doesn`t materialize, he`ll find me a fight with one of their top guys at 185 pounds. Their 185-pound champion, Mike ‘the Marine’ Richmond [who has a fight coming up against Josh Dyer], respect for your service, brother. But bare-knuckle is my service. Let’s do it.”
