Mike Perry is set to return to bare-knuckle fighting at BKFC’s first event in Philadelphia this December, where the promotion aims to host a highly anticipated and stacked card, potentially featuring other big names like Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor.
Mike Perry is nearing his return to bare-knuckle fighting.
After a brief stint in boxing, where he faced Jake Paul in July, Perry is now being lined up for his next BKFC fight. The event is set for December, marking BKFC’s first show in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania recently sanctioned bare-knuckle fighting, and BKFC president David Feldman is eager to bring an event to his home state.
“It was like a kid in a candy store,” Feldman told MMA Fighting upon hearing the news. “I get to do this in my home state. We’re targeting mid-December for our first show. Huge show in a huge arena.”
“It’s going to be great. Mike [Perry] and we’re talking to Eddie [Alvarez] about coming back for another fight. It’ll be a super stacked card. We’ve got some current professional boxers interested too. No doubt we’ll sell out the biggest arena in Philly.”
Perry last fought in BKFC in April, defeating UFC veteran Thiago Alves in just 60 seconds, moving his bare-knuckle record to 5-0. His boxing match against Paul didn’t go as well, with Perry suffering a sixth-round TKO loss. Now, he’s returning to BKFC, where he’s arguably become the face of the promotion.
Feldman couldn’t imagine a better fit than Perry for Philadelphia while hinting at another big-name opponent for the upcoming fight.
“I’m working on Mike’s opponent right now,” Feldman said. “If I tie that up, everyone will be like ‘oh shit, really? How did you do that?’ It’s going to be amazing. I’m targeting it to be the biggest card we’ve ever done as a homecoming. Everybody’s excited.”
“Philly is a working-class city. Mike Perry is a working-class guy. He’ll fit right in with the fans there. We might even get Conor McGregor to come and take it over the top.”
McGregor became a part-owner of BKFC back in April and has made several appearances at recent events, drawing more interest to bare-knuckle fights.
The date for the Philadelphia card is currently targeted for either Dec. 13 or Dec. 14. Feldman also hinted at another surprise involving a big football game that same weekend.
“We’re targeting the weekend when the Eagles play the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Feldman said. “So we’ll have some Pittsburgh vs. Philly guys on the card too.”
“That show’s going to be sick. Unbelievable. The biggest moment of my professional career.”