Engaged in a bitter feud dating over a year, Mike Perry has now expressed his reservations over the future of UFC star Conor McGregor amid their seasoned stalemate. Perry was seemingly handed his walking papers from the promotion last year after a loss in boxing against Jake Paul. After having taken on controversial puncher Jake Paul in a knockout loss, Perry’s performance irked new BKFC boss McGregor.
With the promotion tight-lipped on his future, Perry has since been goaded by the Dubliner for the last year, amid links to a potential grudge fight in a bare-knuckle first for the Irishman.
Perry claims while the McGregor fight does interest him, he realistically sees more of a chance of fighting in a rematch with Jake, who has expressed an interested in Dirty Boxing.
Meanwhile, sidelined from combat for the last four years, McGregor has failed in his bid for a return. His last venture inside a ring was at UFC 264 in 2021, where the Crumlin striker suffered a gruesome fracture of his tibia and fibula in a doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to arch-rival Dustin Poirier.
McGregor did come close to a comeback last summer. But despite having been booked to headline UFC 303 against Michael Chandler, the former champion pulled out of the bout with hours to go, citing an alleged toe injury.
This, along with the reports that he is yet to submit a drug-test sample in six months, is making less confident of his return.
As far as Perry is concerned, a clash with McGregor is a pipedream for him. He believes the 36-year-old veteran’s days in combat sports are numbered, if not over, even following his recent face-off with BKFC favorite Jeremy Stephens at Kuncklemania 5.
“That’s a good one. I like that one,” Perry told Inside Fighting of a clash with McGregor. “I was thinking a little differently. …But I don’t see that guy coming to fight. And I don’t think that guy wants to fight. He just wants to talk.”, he admitted.
With four years without action for McGrgeor, in a sport which is continually passing him by, Perry is only the latest to join the chorus singing the Irishman ‘Fare Thee Well’.
Mike Perry calls out Conor McGregor for a face-off and @TheNotoriousMMA accepts. He enters the ring with the BKFC title over his shoulder.#BKFC41 | LIVE on #FITE pic.twitter.com/DoCw7OZTZP
— TrillerTV (@Triller_TV) April 30, 2023
Interestingly, the ever-hopeful Michael Chandler, who wasted almost two years of his prime in the UFC hoping for a big-money fight with McGregor, also seems to be forgetting the Irishman in the long march of time.
Chandler moves on to Pimblett clash
Having lost all hope for a grudge fight with McGregor, Chandler is now booked to return in April at UFC 314 to fight the scouser Paddy Pimblett. Though a far cry from the lucrative McGregor deal, Pimblett is at least sure to show up for the event.
