BKFC’s newest welterweight signing Mike Perry has left the door open to a return to mixed martial arts in the future.
After seven years as a professional in MMA, Perry’s switch to bare-knuckle boxing was announced last week. Perry had competed under the banner of the UFC ever since his debut defeat to Alan Jouban in 2016. Fans will no doubt remember him best for his brutal finishes against Jake Ellenberger and Alex Reyes in the following year.
After going 3-7 in his last 10 Octagon outings, which included a defeat to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 23 earlier this year, Perry’s contract in the promotion came to an end, and “Platinum” has chosen to venture onto a new path for the time being. As the likes of Artem Lobov, Thiago Alves, and Paige VanZant did before him, Perry has found a new home with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
Perry Is Open To Another UFC Chapter
Whilst his new journey is just beginning, Perry has admitted that he’s not leaving MMA and the UFC completely behind him. During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, the 30-year-old suggested he could make a return to the cage further into his career. However, he’s looking to drop the grappling and focus solely on his hands for his immediate future.
“I think I could go back (to MMA). I can still grapple a little bit, because I use it when I punch, and it works against really good grapplers, punching works. And vice versa, grappling really works against really good punchers. It’s just, I want to let it go. So if I know that punching is all we’re doing, I feel like I could do better at that. I don’t know,” Perry said.
Despite foreseeing a potential second stint in the UFC at some point, Perry maintained that his primary goal is to become a BKFC champion.
“Sure, yeah (I could return to the UFC). Now it’s like, I’ve got these people’s money behind me right, because they signed me. They saw we’re all going to put out. So, I’m going to be this champion over here.”
Would you like to see Mike Perry back in the UFC Octagon down the line?
