BKFC marquee star and former UFC lightweight contender, Mike Perry is a frequent critic of the UFC. He has been critical of the promotion at all fronts, from fighter pay disparity to the treatments athletes receive. Recently, the Michigan native doubled down on his accusations when he alleged that the organization curbs its fighter’s freedom.
The fighter shared his thoughts on the Overdogspodcast. Comparing his time in both UFC and BKFC, Perry mentioned how the UFC is limiting its fighters’ potential, saying,
“There’s something missing in the fight game where the UFC was how they let the fighters dress the way they wanted, do their walkouts you know that’s one thing that has really helped me blow up. Doing this bare knuckle, I’ve been able to do these things like the way I wanted to do them. I get to wear my clothes, I get to say what I want to say. They’re not trying to coerce what comes out of my mouth.”
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To be fair, Perry does have a point here. The UFC being loyal to its brand endorsements doesn’t necessarily encourage fighters to don their choice of apparel, especially during its events. Instead, athletes are prompted to use products from brands like Venum, and Reebok, which has a long-standing association with the UFC and Dana White.
Keeping his criticisms aside, Perry is now on top of his game, racking up millions in the bare-knuckle promotion and even filling in as Mike Tyson’s replacement against Jake Paul in the upcoming fight on July 20.
Mike Perry replaces Mike Tyson against Jake Paul
The Tyson vs Paul bout has not been called off yet. It has just been postponed to the year’s end in November due to Tyson’s recent mid-flight health scare. However, fans will still have something to cheer about on July 20 as Mike Perry will step in the ring to lay out ‘The Problem Child.’
Perry will return to professional boxing in his second bout in the squared circle under professional rules after his loss to Kenneth McNeil in 2015. Interestingly, he was initially offered a fight in the same Tyson vs Paul card against an undisclosed opponent, which he turned down.
However, fate has now given ‘The Platinum’ a massive opportunity to bag millions and do a favor for hardcore boxing fans – put away Jake Paul for good!
