Mike Perry and Jake Paul, who sparred together years ago, are set to fight on Saturday, with Perry reflecting on their past session and acknowledging Paul’s growth as a boxer while anticipating criticism regardless of the outcome.
There’s a common saying in combat sports: what happens in the gym, stays in the gym.
However, that’s becoming less common these days. Teammates and sparring partners end up fighting each other more regularly, making past private training sessions very public. That’s the case with Mike Perry and Jake Paul. They sparred together for six rounds several years ago, but that session has become legendary as they prepare to fight on Saturday.
For Paul, sparring a savage like Perry gave him confidence. He felt he was making the right choice transitioning from social media influencer to boxing enthusiast. Meanwhile, Perry was impressed by Paul’s performance that day, even if he doesn’t dwell on it much now.
Perry knew that their past sparring would come up constantly after he replaced Mike Tyson for the fight on July 20.
“Let them do it,” Perry told MMA Fighting about the narrative around that sparring session. “It’s a good reason for both of us to fight each other.” He mentioned planting a seed long ago when he declined Paul’s paycheck for showing up to spar.
“When they told me going into the sixth round, ‘This would be the last round Mike,’ I thought we should do eight rounds since Paul had an eight-round fight coming up.” The ‘Platinum’ pressure builds over time.
Perry recalled a moment during that session when he realized Paul was learning and adapting quickly—something unexpected at first.
As a veteran with more experience, Perry made necessary changes to turn the tables on Paul.
“I remember from our sparring back then: I came out with this combination—one-two then three-hook to the body—and boom! Caught him.” Twenty seconds in, Paul grimaced and said it was a good body shot. Perry lightened up but then got hit by some sniper shots from Paul. Time to pick it back up!
“I give him credit; he adjusted well. I couldn’t land that body shot again that day.”
That session happened when Perry was still a UFC fighter—not yet focused on bare-knuckle boxing as he is today. Since then, he’s scored a win over veteran boxer Michael Seals in Triad Combat’s adjusted rule set in 2021.
Paul has evolved too, which is why Perry expects the unexpected when they meet again on Saturday.
“He might start slow,” Perry said. “He might get better as the fight goes on or try to carry his weight against me.” Expecting no choice but for Paul to run because he’s smaller, Perry plans to cut angles and slip side-to-side around him—maybe even give him “the old reach-around.”
His only loss came against Tommy Fury by split decision in 2023.
Before booking this matchup with Perry, Paul was supposed to face Mike Tyson.
Tyson recently celebrated his 58th birthday.
Paul’s record largely features fights against UFC veterans like Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva.
His last two wins were against journeymen boxers obliterated inside the first round.
Despite being an underdog entering this fight,
Perry expects Paul’s past will rob him of deserved praise if he wins.
“When I beat him,” said Perry,
“They’re going to say Jake wasn’t ready for an opponent like me.”
But look at stats: I’m only one pro boxing match deep,
though I’ve had about thirty professional fights—
so much success in MMA and now bare-knuckle boxing.
People aren’t giving bare-knuckle boxing enough credit.
Jake is nine-and-one in pro boxing,
having fought two or three real fighters.
Everything here lines up perfectly;
“I’m going to give Jake a nose job.”