In 2023, Mike Perry is preparing for a second time to serve as a backup against one of the Paul brothers, this time potentially facing Logan Paul if Dillon Danis pulls out of their scheduled match.
As of 2023, this marks the second time that UFC veteran and current BKFC star, Mike Perry, is playing the role of a backup. He’s preparing himself for a potential fight with one of the Paul brothers, should an opponent back out. Perry was a possible replacement for Tommy Fury in his fight against Jake Paul earlier in February, and now, he is prepared to replace Dillon Danis in the event of his withdrawal from the match against Logan Paul, scheduled for October 14th.
Perry admits that the Paul brothers have had their eyes on him as a potential opponent, but a fight has yet to come to fruition, resulting in Perry continually playing the ‘backup’ role. He feels they are interested in his fighting style and trash talk. In his own words, “I just think they’ve had their eye on me for a little while as far as my fighting style, as far as my trash talk.” He’s had interactions with the Paul brothers including a sparring session with Jake.
Perry believes that his role as a backup offers him an opportunity to stay professional and showcase his seriousness about fighting. A recently held volatile pre-fight press conference in London saw Perry hopping on stage for a staredown with Paul, with Danis noticeably irate afterwards. Perry was contacted as a backup due to Danis’ long inactivity with his last fight dating back to 2019 and his withdrawal from a scheduled boxing match with KSI in January. Despite a clause in Danis’ contract requiring him to pay a $100,000 fine if he drops out of the fight, Perry is staying prepared.
Perry also discussed his take on Danis and his potential opponent Logan Paul. Drawing on his belief that he hits harder than Floyd Mayweather, Perry boasted of his 12 knockouts across 17 fights. He voiced his convictions about fighting Paul, “I think if Dillon Danis doesn’t show and I end up fighting him, I change people. They change after they fight me. They’re a different man after they fight me.” On speculations of possibility of other backups, Perry stated, “Who knows? Maybe Logan has a backup for his backup,” highlighting the unpredictability of fight arrangements.