Mike Perry, who hasn’t fought in MMA since 2021, was considering an MMA fight against Dillon Danis before securing a boxing match with Jake Paul, and remains open to future MMA or boxing opportunities despite his commitment to BKFC.
Mike Perry hasn’t competed in MMA since his final UFC fight in 2021. But he was dusting off his old gloves for a potential showdown against Dillon Danis.
Before landing a boxing match against Jake Paul on July 20, the BKFC’s “King of Violence” was in talks to face Danis under MMA rules. Perry explained he preferred an MMA fight after watching Danis land just 16 punches in a farcical boxing match against Logan Paul.
“It’s interesting,” Perry said to MMA Fighting. “I was still looking at that Dillon Danis fight. That wasn’t going to be a boxing match because we all saw how he performed in boxing.”
“I don’t want any excuses,” Perry continued. “I was supposed to fight him after I beat up Jake Paul. But after I beat Jake Paul, let’s be honest, I could just chill out for a bit and let things unravel around me.”
Danis, a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, held a 2-0 record under Bellator before his release in 2023. He teased a return to MMA but pursued influencer boxing instead, first seeking KSI and then clashing with Logan Paul.
Despite his social media activity, Danis hasn’t fought in MMA since 2019. However, he did engage in a war of words with Perry that led to real talks about a possible fight.
An MMA fight against Danis would mean Perry returning to his old stomping grounds. Yet, he was more than ready because most fighters wouldn’t consider facing him in a bare-knuckle brawl in BKFC.
“I was going to knee him in the face and elbow him,” Perry said about Danis. “If he gives up his back, I would have tried for the choke. Why not? I ain’t got a submission before; I like to punch people.”
“I am very highly skilled in MMA,” Perry added. “It might just be something that I take to the grave, those skills.”
“I recently did an MMA round with Lyoto Machida and other high-level UFC fighters,” Perry shared. “I’ve still got it. I’m very highly skilled in fighting, no matter what the art is but boxing is definitely something I prefer.”
Landing the fight against Jake Paul potentially changes everything for Perry moving forward. Especially if he follows through with his prediction for a vicious seventh-round knockout.
No matter the result, Perry remains committed to BKFC where he signed a new long-term deal back in August 2023. Still, he’s not shying away from MMA or boxing if those opportunities arise.
“I definitely owe BKFC,” Perry said. “I’ve got to get back in there for them. They have plans to bring me back by year-end.”
“They might already have an idea who that’s going to be,” Perry speculated. “If I perform well against Jake Paul, the possibilities are endless.”
“I could fight Dillon Danis in MMA and do a BKFC fight all before year-end or just chill out and see what happens,” Perry mused. “Maybe end up fighting Anthony Joshua or something after beating Jake Paul.”
“We got Nate Diaz-[Jorge] Masvidal coming up,” Perry noted about their boxing match in July. “It’s all respect from me.”
“I honor guys who’ve been at this game for a long time,” Perry said. “That’s why Jake gets the bad rap; he just got here and knows it.”
“He’s trying to pick better fights for recognition,” Perry concluded. “That’s where I come in—my chance and opportunity to stop this kid and show him what a real fighter is.”