Boxing coach Teddy Atlas believes there’s only one way in which Mike Perry can defeat Jake Paul in their upcoming fight. In the latest episode of Atlas’s YouTube podcast, ‘THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas,’ the 67-year-old implied that ‘The Problem Child’s’ “bigger” physique would make Perry’s job tougher. Atlas also mentioned that ‘Platinum’ will need to curb the intermediate distance between him and Paul to maximize his chances of a victory.
Paul is three inches taller than his BKFC middleweight champ rival, who stands at 5′ 10″ (1.77m). However, this difference doubles itself when it comes to the reach of these two fighters. Altas iterated that Paul would enjoy a major advantage over ‘Platinum’ due to his 76″ reach compared to Perry’s reach of 70.7″. He also mentioned that the YouTuber-boxer would use his jab to keep Perry at bay and fire his fierce “straight right” at times.
This is why the boxing coach emphasized how important it was for Perry to manage the intermediate distance effectively. He claimed it was indispensable for the former UFC welterweight to sneak a way past Paul’s jabs since the only way to victory was getting close to his opponent and making his strikes count.
“Paul will be able to use the jab where he can keep Perry at a distance where he can set up the right hand. [He will] keep Perry from penetrating. [But] the range is the only way in which Perry can win, [he needs] to get close to Paul.”
Atlas’ advice makes it clear that he believes Perry has it in him to best Paul inside the ring. At the same time, ‘The Problem Child’ might make a huge mistake if he pushes for a knockout victory on July 20.
Paul may have to be satisfied with a decision victory against Perry
Bare-knuckle boxing is a lot more brutal than its traditional counterpart, as it removes boxing gloves from the equation. Perry, the current BKFC middleweight champion, is used to absorbing those hard shots. His undefeated 5-0 BKFC record also proves that he has enough gas in the tank to take the fight to the end. Hence, even the most powerful shots from Paul might not be enough to take his lights out.
However, being the more technical traditional boxer, Paul can beat Perry in the volume of strikes landed despite not causing much damage. The 5-inch reach advantage he has over Perry will also help him in this regard. So, the best approach for Paul would be to go for precision strikes, while also staying beyond the BKFC champion’s reach.
