The new ‘King of Violence’ has found his home at BKFC

Often times, when fighters part ways with the UFC, you tend to feel bad as their dream of fighting on the big stage has come to an end. And, of course, who wants to be left without a job? Somehow, for “Platinum” Mike Perry, his UFC departure has done wonders for his career. Upon the expiration of Perry’s UFC contract in 2021, company president Dana White said Perry was offered a fight against Kevin Lee. Mike would not accept, thus parting ways with the UFC. Instead, Perry decided to go the route of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Since then, Perry has been dubbed the new “King of Violence” and found his new home.

Perry amassed a 3-7 record over the course of his last 10 UFC fights. But he garnered no negative emotions towards the company. Perry would go on to say: “There’s no need to say anything negative. I’m grateful and happy for this opportunity, and I want to make things happen for myself and put my own flare into it.”

Free Agency

Though Perry was not highly successful in his UFC run, his dog mentality and carefree personality would ultimately earn him many fans in combat sports. So when his name hit the market, it was no shock to see the number of suitors for “Platinum”. This proved to be an incredibly wise move for Perry… There are more options for free agent fighters today than ever before.

Nowadays, there is no better time to be a free-agent MMA fighter with a big name. The opportunities outside of the UFC are more abundant than they have ever been, especially from a financial perspective. Entities like BKFC, PFL, and even cross-over boxing have become more popular as well. If you are a former UFC fighter with a big name, hitting free agency is now a huge opportunity. Fighters can sometimes make more money outside of the UFC.

While the UFC is still the cream of the crop, their ability to pay fighters anything of note has been in question for some time.

BKFC Opportunity

Perry always had the personality and toughness to be an even bigger star than he was. Now, it seems like he is living up to that potential. Since entering the BKFC, not only has Perry taken care of himself and his family financially, but he has absolutely thrived in the bare-knuckle format. It is simply a style that suits him well. So well that Mike Perry has amassed a 4-0 record inside the BKFC ring. Perry has picked up wins over Julian Lane, Michael “Venom” Page, Luke Rockhold, and most recently, Eddie Alvarez.

With a ton of money in his pocket and the “King of Violence” Championship around his waist, Mike now seems to be the top dog in the BKFC world. When you are at the top, options can be plentiful. There are countless big fights for Perry to compete in going forward. Names like Jorge Masvidal and Anthony Pettis are certainly potential opponents for the top dog at BKFC. Jorge Masvidal owns a Bare Knuckle Fighting promotion himself and has made it clear that he would take a big boxing match if the opportunity was presented. Speaking of Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing promotion, Anthony Pettis just defeated boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. in the company’s April event. So there are 2 formiddable foes that may be possible for Mike Perry’s next fight.

Who’s Next?

In the post-fight press conference of the recent Perry-Alvarez fight, the King of Violence made his intentions clear. Putting names to opponents he will be fighting in the future. In that same press conference, top 9-0 BKFC Champion Luis Palomino confronted Perry and asked why he would not fight him next. Perry would make it clear that he is strictly seeking big-name fights at this point in his career. He feels that a fight with BKFC lightweight champion Palomino would not do much for him in that regard. To be fair, Mike did also say that he would fight whoever the company puts before him. So I guess we will have to wait and see how it plays out.

Perry leaving the UFC and signing with BKFC is by far the best move he could’ve made for his career. The three major things that stand out are that he seems very happy, he is making a lot of money, and he is making a legacy for himself by winning these big fights. I mean, what more can a fighter ask for?

Who and what do you think should be next for Mike Perry? Let us know in the comment below.

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About Post Author

Marcos Antelo

Marcos is the creator of Talkin’ MMA and a Lead Content Creator at The Scrap. He’s a passionate combat sports enthusiast, produces engaging video content, and conducts in-depth interviews for The Scrap’s YouTube channel. As the host of the popular Main Event Preview, Marcos spotlights voices from the camps of UFC main event PPV title fights, offering fans exclusive insights from behind the curtain of the sport’s biggest fighters.

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