Mike Perry was in talks for alternative fight before Jake Paul showdown

06/24/2024 02:43 PM

Mike Perry was in talks for his long-awaited return to MMA before landing a boxing bout with Jake Paul.

‘Platinum’ hasn’t competed in MMA since his last fight with the UFC against Daniel Rodriguez in April 2021.

The bout, which he lost via unanimous decision, was the final fight on his UFC contract, allowing him to entertain proposals from other potential suitors.

After receiving a money-spinning offer from Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), Perry opted to put pen to paper on a multi-fight deal with the bare-knuckle boxing promotion instead of re-signing with the UFC.

Perry has gone on to have a hugely successful career in the sport with five wins from five fights including victories over fellow ex-UFC stars Thiago Alves, Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold.

The 32-year-old has seen his stock rise significantly since signing with BKFC and he now finds himself in a massive fight against Paul on July 20 after the YouTube star’s contest with Mike Tyson was postponed until November 15.

But that wasn’t always the plan for Perry, who was in discussions for an MMA fight with Dillon Danis when he received the offer from Paul’s representatives.

"It's interesting. I was still looking at that Dillon Danis fight,” Perry told MMA Fighting.

“That wasn't going to be a boxing match because we all saw how he performed in boxing. I don't want any excuses.

“I was supposed to fight him after I beat up Jake Paul but after I beat Jake Paul, let's be honest, I could just chill out for a bit and let things unravel around me."

Danis, a Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi champion, competed in MMA twice (2-0) under the Bellator promotional banner but hasn’t fought in the discipline since 2019.

His last outing in combat sports, was a disqualification loss in boxing to Logan Paul in October 2023, which Perry was the backup fighter for.

As is often the case when it comes to Danis’ career, a war of words on social media between Perry and himself led to negotiations for a fight.

"I was going to knee him in the face and elbow him," Perry said of a fight with Danis.

"If he gives up his back, I would have tried to go for the choke. Why not?

“I ain't got a submission before, I like to punch people. I am very highly skilled in MMA.

“It might just be something that I take to the grave, those skills.”