Mike Perry, a rising star in the UFC welterweight division, said he’d like a chance to destroy lightweight champion Conor McGregor in McGregor’s native Ireland.
On Saturday, TMZ Sports passed along comments from Perry, who delivered a direct shot at The Notorious when asked about his dream fight.
“I’ll fight McGregor in Ireland. Wassup? In Dublin. Wassup? Quote me on that,” he said. “You’ll do f–kin’ nothin’, you f–kin’ prick. Once I put these hands on you, boy, I’ll strangle you in two seconds.”
Perry is set to face Alex Reyes as part of the UFC Fight Night 116: Rockhold vs. Branch card Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. He’s a heavy favorite (-550; bet $500 to win $100) in the bout, per OddsShark.
The 26-year-old from Flint, Michigan, owns a 10-1 career MMA record, including a 3-1 mark since he joined the UFC in October. His only loss came to Alan Jouban in December, but he bounced back win a knockout win over Jake Ellenberger in April.
He’s likely got more work to do before he can earn a shot at McGregor, though. RankingMMA.com places him 17th in the welterweight division.
Though the Irish sensation is the lightweight title holder and former featherweight champ, he’s moved to welterweight before to face Nate Diaz twice. His boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. was also contested at super welterweight.
That said, there’s a long list of fighters waiting for a chance to face McGregor in the Octagon. UFC President Dana White said after the MMA star’s loss to Mayweather that he wanted him to stick with what he does best moving forward.
“I would rather he did not [box again],” White told reporters. “This isn’t what he does. He’s a mixed martial artist; he’s better when he uses all of his weapons. I think he did great tonight, but I want to see him back in the UFC.
“I’m ready to get back to the UFC. I was back there with him, and we’re not talking about fighting tonight. When he’s ready, he’ll let me know.”
While Perry might not get to fight McGregor anytime soon, his comments showed he’s prepared for the trash-talking battle that would ensure if he does get the opportunity.
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