Jake Paul, initially set to fight Mike Tyson in November, chose to face UFC veteran Mike Perry instead, a decision that surprised many including analyst Dan Hardy who warned that Perry’s ferocity and prime condition could pose a much greater challenge than the aging Tyson.
When Mike Tyson couldn’t fight on July 20 due to health issues, most assumed Jake Paul would wait. The plan was to eventually face the legendary heavyweight on a marquee card set to air on Netflix.
The Tyson fight got rescheduled for November. Instead of sitting idle, Paul booked a boxing match against UFC veteran and BKFC superstar Mike Perry. Perry might be a tougher matchup than Tyson. He’s 32, in his prime, and a savage knockout artist with power in both hands.
Even veteran analyst Dan Hardy was shocked by Paul’s decision. “It’s a recipe for disaster for Jake Paul,” Hardy told MMA Fighting. “I’m really genuinely surprised that he’s allowing Mike Perry to punch him.”
Perry never became a true UFC contender but always entertained. He found his groove after transitioning into bare-knuckle boxing with BKFC.
Since signing with BKFC, Perry has gone 5-0. His wins include high-profile finishes over ex-UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez. He also defeated veteran boxer Michael Seals in an adjusted rule set match back in 2021.
Perry brings ferocity that Paul may have never faced before. Hardy cautions Paul to take this matchup seriously—or risk waking up staring at the lights.
“Mike Perry’s an animal,” Hardy said. “He’s an absolute barbarian made for striking sports.” Anything where he doesn’t worry about takedowns suits him perfectly.
Jake Paul is big, powerful, well-conditioned, and improving in boxing. When he fought Nate Diaz, many thought he’d overwhelm Nate. Diaz couldn’t land anything significant or disorganize Paul.
But Mike Perry is different—he can make it chaos in there. Just getting his forehead in your face and throwing mad shots around the side creates intensity like no other.
Hardy believes Jake Paul hasn’t experienced such pressure before—not even in sparring if he had challenging partners brought by good coaches.
For all of Paul’s wins against MMA veterans, none came against someone like Perry. If Paul isn’t ready for what’s coming Saturday, he’s in for a rude awakening.
“Against Nate Diaz, you might feel waterboarded but not hurt,” Hardy said. “Against Ben Askren? What’s there to worry about when he’s wearing boxing gloves?”
“With Tyron Woodley, he’s dangerous if he throws something.” But with Mike Perry? All those problems rolled into one: constant pressure and enough power to hurt you badly.
If successful against Perry, it could be Paul’s biggest win yet—especially compared to beating a 58-year-old Tyson now.
Tyson still means a lot to combat sports fans but his best days are long gone. Beating Tyson now might get Paul attention and money but it’s not like beating Tyson near his prime.
“There’s always danger fighting someone like Mike Tyson,” Hardy said. “But beating him at this age doesn’t offer much.”
Paul didn’t get accolades for beating Anderson Silva because Silva was 47 then—what’s Tyson now? It would just cast him in a bad light regardless of how the fight played out.