Mike Perry On Being Backup To Face Jake Paul, ‘I’ve Been Training As If It’s Going To Be Me’

Former UFC fighter Mike Perry is taking his role as backup for the Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury event very seriously.

Perry Paul
Credit Mike Perry and Jake Paul on Instagram

Mike Perry is ready to fill in against Jake Paul if need be.

It has been almost two years since Mike Perry last fought in the UFC Octagon. In the time since then, he has been keeping very busy. Perry has fought in bare-knuckle for BKFC and is now turning his focus to boxing. A switch to boxing has been a popular path for former UFC fighters of late. Many former MMA champions have begun to make the switch to “celebrity” style boxing matches and now Perry hopes to be next. He has been calling out different opponents on social media and now is as close as ever to getting a shot at the number one boxer in terms of these sorts of bouts, Jake Paul.

Paul will be facing Tommy Fury in a match on February 26 in Saudi Arabia. Perry will serve as a backup for that bout, if Fury were to pull out, he would face Paul.

Mike Perry is preparing as if he will get the chance to face Jake Paul

Perry has been asking to face Jake Paul for some time now. A fight against Paul comes with a huge paycheck and some fighters have mentioned being paid more for that one opportunity than their entire UFC stints. Now Perry is close to getting his wish but it all depends on the status of Fury. He spoke about this chance on The MMA Hour. 

“I think I’m going to Saudi Arabia,” he said. “I think I’m going. It was between me and Tommy Fury. Of course, Tommy is super famous, he’s a Fury, he’s got a pro boxing record and an amateur boxing record but we know what that means. There are a lot of stacked fights or journeymen-type guys. You can call me whatever you want but I’m a winning type of journeyman.”

Perry went on to explain that he actually has very few details about his role in the fight. He was unsure when he would leave for Saudi Arabia if needed. He was unclear as to if he is getting paid to be the backup but seemed optimistic. Recently there was a press conference held that was to verbally pit Paul and Fury against each other, but Fury did not attend. When asked if this bodes well for Perry, he responded. 

“I do feel that it is a real thing that it could be me,” he said. “I have been training as if it is going to be me. I believe I am going to Saudi Arabia regardless. If I would have been there already I would have been talking sh-t at the press conference. You see how hyped up I am.”

In preparation for this bout, Perry has been training with former UFC fighter Jacare Souza who is making his own move to boxing. If he is not needed in February, Perry will next be returning to BKFC to fight in a main event on April 29 against an opponent yet to be determined. He did say that they are calling his next one a “super fight.” 

Published on February 8, 2023 at 3:53 pm
Stay up-to-date with the latest MMA news, rumors, and updates by following the RED Monster on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, don't forget to add MiddleEasy to your Google News feed Follow us on Google News for even more coverage.

Related

Leave a Comment