Though his mixed martial arts career may have ended with a whimper, Mike Perry managed to salvage his place in combat sports by transitioning to bare-knuckle boxing. The gamble paid off, earning him both success and a chance to flirt with the gloved version as well. Nearly a decade after his professional boxing debut, Perry stepped in to fight Jake Paul last year after the originally scheduled Mike Tyson bout was postponed. Though the fight ended in a knockout loss, the 33-year-old Flint, Michigan, native remained upbeat.
Alongside his fighting career, Mike Perry launched his own promotion, ‘Dirty Boxing Championship.’ But despite having his hands full, Platinum Perry still craves a fight. With a potential bout against Conor McGregor looking increasingly unlikely, he seems eager to find another high-profile opponent. And now, he may have found an opening. Later this month, former UFC title challenger and Khamzat Chimaev teammate Darren Till is set to face former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. Till, who made his boxing debut this January, appears to be gaining momentum. But a closer look suggests Perry might not have to push too hard to insert himself into the conversation.
Mike Perry was at his optimistic best during a recent conversation with Jake Noecker from ‘Home of Fight.’ As the interview wrapped up, Noecker brought up the upcoming matchup between Darren Till and Luke Rockhold. “Do you take this Luke Rockhold stuff seriously at all?” he asked. Rockhold and Till are set to headline ‘Misfits 22: Ring of Thrones,‘ where they’ll compete for the in-house bridgerweight title. The co-main event will feature former UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson squaring off against Salt Papi.
Credits: Imago
So Perry began by wishing Rockhold well ahead of his professional boxing debut. The two last faced off two years ago in a bare-knuckle bout in Broomfield, Colorado. It ended disastrously for Rockhold. “I hope he does good,” Perry said. Still, he couldn’t prevent himself from hurling a stinging jab. “Like maybe Luke Rockhold with gloves on is this next mythical fighter.” But having said that, it doesn’t mean Rockhold would have his way with Darren Till, Perry insisted.
“Darren Tills got a couple wins in boxing,” he acknowledged. However, Perry quickly recalled a moment from the past when Till had called him out for a bare-knuckle fight. “He was talking about kickboxing already when he was about to go into a boxing match. He’s like, ‘I want to bare-knuckle kickbox Mike Perry,’” Perry said, before circling back to throw another jab at Luke Rockhold.
Later, Mike Perry emphasized that he’s been actively seeking a worthy opponent, someone who can truly test him.
The cage isn’t closed on Mike Perry just yet
“I’ve been boxing, and everybody wants to see me and Darren Till,” Perry shared. A potential matchup with Till seems likely, provided the Englishman takes care of business against Rockhold, whom he dispatched with ease back in 2023.
April 4, 2023, Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States: LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 4: Luke Rockhold interacts with media during the Bare Knuckle 41 Media Day at Palms Casino Resort on April 4, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Las Vegas, Nevada United States – ZUMAp175 20230404_zsa_p175_027 Copyright: xDiegoxRibasx
Now, Perry seems intent on making his mark in boxing. But what if Darren Till doesn’t show up? There might already be a solution to that dilemma. Speaking with ‘MMAFightingonSBN’ about his upcoming boxing match and struggles with injuries, Luke Rockhold voiced his strong disdain for bare-knuckle boxing.
However, with a change in format, Rockhold appeared open to a rematch with Mike Perry. “One thing I would do, I think, is way more badass and not so f**king stupid because you can’t gauge distance in bare-knuckle boxing: I would do bare-knuckle kickboxing. I would f**king rematch Mike Perry and put him to sleep. I don’t think he wants that,” he said before pointing at ‘Bare-knuckle kickboxing.’
Whether Perry would be open to such terms remains doubtful. He admitted to Jake Noecker that it’s been a while since he engaged in any fight involving kicks. A clearer picture may emerge after the Till-Rockhold clash concludes.
Which would you rather see: a boxing showdown between Darren Till and Mike Perry or a bare-knuckle rematch between Perry and Luke Rockhold?
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