Mike Perry is about that life.
Yesterday (Tues., Sept. 28, 2022), “Platinum” got into a bit of an impromptu bare-knuckle match at a Ren TV Fight Club press conference in Moscow, Russia. Engaging with Perry was popular Russian Middleweight, Magomed Ismailov, who went up to Perry and started enticing him. After Perry called Ismailov a “b—ch” and “motherf—ker,” Ismailov got more heated and the two were forced to be separated.
“I almost fought bare knuckle in Russia five minutes ago cause I’m like excited, I’m like damn, I came to Russia with my boy Alex [Nicholson] to fight and I’m not even fighting so I was a little excited I was going to fight for free but that’s dumb because I’m a businessman,” Perry told Red Corner MMA when asked if he’d do a bare-knuckle match in Russia. “I’m worth millions of dollars, straight up. They gotsta pay me and I’ll put on a show, and I just did. I just gave y’all a taste for free.
“That’s what contracts are for, that’s why this is called business, okay?” he continued. “You’re not gonna make a name off yourself and I come in weighing my fight weight and you come in juiced to the gills on steroids. I’m a natural fighter and I fight at 175 pounds professionally and I’m one of the best fighters in the world. Period. So, I don’t care about weight, but that’s what my managers are for.”
Since departing Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2021, Perry has left mixed martial arts (MMA) behind for life as a bare-knuckle boxer in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Making his debut earlier this year with a unanimous decision over Julian Lane, Perry most recently defeated Bellator Welterweight, Michael “Venom” Page, in London, England (watch highlights).
It remains to be seen if something can be worked out for a Perry match in Russia, but now a foundation has been laid between him and Ismailov.
“He’s very huge,” Perry said. “Like at least 220 and I fight at 175, if he can make the weight, we can do it. I mean, I was about to fight him right now, I said it. If you want to fight, let’s fight. I don’t waste no time. I’m not here to fight, they didn’t give me a contract, okay?
“You ain’t gonna make me no highlight, f—k that,” he added. “I’m gonna defend myself at all times. Then there was random guys coming from the back behind me trying to hit me and s—t. So, I’m glad it worked out.”