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- Mike Perry will be competing in his second boxing match against Jake Paul.
- Perry's boxing debut came in 2015, when he lost in the fourth round.
- If Paul loses to Perry, his chances of facing Mike Tyson may be in jeopardy.
Jake Paul is set to face former UFC fighter Mike Perry later this month in a bid to land a mega-fight with Mike Tyson. A loss to “Platinum” Perry would almost certainly jeopardize the Nov. 15 bout between Paul and “Iron” Mike at AT&T Stadium.
But Paul is willing to take a gamble, and maybe that's because he's seen footage of Perry's only professional boxing bout to date: Since leaving one of the world's leading mixed martial arts organizations in 2021, Perry has had a great run in the world of bare-knuckle boxing, but his only traditional boxing bout was as bad as it gets.
Perry gave the sweet science a go in March 2015. His debut didn't go as planned, as he was knocked out by Kenneth McNeil, who held a 6-1 record at the time. The MMA fighter was taken down with a powerful overhand shot before being counted out on the canvas by the referee.
Mike Perry's pro boxing debut was a complete failure
“Platinum” stopped within 4 rounds
Now 32, Perry has a chance to return to the ring and overcome the horrors of nine years ago, but it won't be an easy task as Paul has won nine of his last ten professional fights, making him the favorite to win the bout.
The fight was sanctioned at a cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds, the weight class at which Paul has fought all of his professional boxing bouts. In contrast, Perry has never fought at that weight, having previously fought at 185 pounds unarmed and at 170 pounds in the UFC. The weight disparity has been criticized by many in the boxing world, including promoter Eddie Hearn, who believes Perry has “no chance” of beating Paul.
“I've never seen Mike Perry fight,” Hearn said in an interview with The MMA Hour. “Isn't he a welterweight or something? 200 pounds? No way. I don't know Mike Perry, but apparently he's a tough guy. He's obviously a tough guy, so I wish him the best of luck.”
In 2020, Paul turned to boxing through social media and has made a name for himself in the sport despite having little to no amateur experience. The biggest fight of his career is against Mike Tyson, but first he must fend off a challenge from Perry.
The 32-year-old Perry looked lost in his only boxing appearance but is now enjoying the best results of his mixed martial arts career, with bare-knuckle wins over former UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez prominent on his resume. His exploits in that field may not have garnered much attention, but Perry would be making headlines around the world if he could beat Paul on July 20.
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“Platinum” Perry has never won a professional boxing bout.
