Mike Perry Praised Before Jake Paul Boxing Fight for "Making a Killing" Post-UFC

Perry's final foe in the UFC tips his hat to him for what he's done out of the Octagon.

Handout Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Perry's post-UFC resurgence is like no other.

"Platinum" did build a name for himself in the Octagon, where he fought for five years against some of the best fighters in the world such as Paul Felder, Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone, Geoff Neal and whoever else the UFC put in front of him. Perry didn't always get his hand raised, exchanging wins and losses throughout his run, but the fan-favorite left a lasting memory with the violent way in which he fought.

Mike Perry fighting Vicente Luque in a UFC fight back in 2019. / Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Though, nothing lasts forever, and Perry's time with the promotion came to a close in 2021 after a decision loss to Daniel Rodriguez. Perry has gone 6-0 in combat sports since then, with wins over former world champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez which saw him become the face of the BKFC.

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Perry's success in bare-knuckle boxing has led to a new level of stardom in a crossover boxing match with Jake Paul this summer. Replacing "Iron" Mike Tyson, "Platinum" Perry will be the latest ex-UFC star to face Paul on July 20th.

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"The Only Fighter That Had The Most Success Outside The UFC"

Nobody's really had quite the post-UFC run that Perry has had, with his final UFC opponent Rodriguez giving his former foe his flowers for making the absolute most out of his position.

"Hats off to him," Rodriguez said of Perry's upcoming boxing matchup with Jake Paul to CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri. "So far, he's been, in my opinion, the only fighter that had the most success outside of the UFC."

"I've thought about it a lot, like I could never do bare knuckle— that's not for me. Although, I would love to fight him again, but he's obviously doing his thing, making big fat paychecks, and at the end of the day, congrats to him. He's making a killing, and at the end of the day, we all just fight for money, man, no matter where it's at. Congratulations to him... he's about to get that big, big paycheck."

Having outboxed Perry in their UFC fight back in 2021, "D-Rod" says he could definitely see potential for a Perry upset against Paul, despite him being more of a brawler than a technical boxer. Though, Rodriguez isn't too impressed with Paul's game, calling him a "really good amateur boxer."

UFC's Daniel Rodriguez fighting Mike Perry in 2021. / Handout Photo-USA TODAY Sports

D-Rod Thrown A Curveball In Next Fight vs. Gastelum

Daniel Rodriguez still finds himself on the UFC roster, having gone 3-2 since his victory over Mike Perry three years ago.

The welterweight fighter returns against The Ultimate Fighter Champion Kelvin Gastelum this weekend at UFC Saudi Arabia. The two were originally scheduled to face off at welterweight but after what was supposedly a worrisome weight cut to 170 lbs. for Gastelum, the fight will be contested at middleweight (185 lbs).

Apr 8, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Chris Curtis (red gloves) fights Kelvin Gastelum (blue gloves) during UFC 287 at Miami-Dade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports / Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

"The matchmakers reached out and I tried to get it to a catchweight," Rodriguez said of the fight week change-up at UFC Saudi Arabia media day. "He must be having such a bad fight camp that he can't even make 180. I'm currently 179 pounds, so I have to put weight back on. It's been 13 weeks since I found out about this fight. I'm sure he has, too. So, the fact that he's saying that he's having a bad fight camp, it makes no sense and I felt like it's lack of discipline. I don't know if he's having a bad fight camp or just being lazy and doesn't want to make the weight."

Rodriguez faces Gastelum this Saturday as part of UFC Saudi Arabia, while Perry will square off with Paul in the boxing ring in Tampa, FL on July 20th.

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