“Platinum” Mike Perry has stepped in for Mike Tyson. The former UFC contender and current Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star will face Jake Paul on July 20.
The cost of the upcoming pay-per-view and the undercard, featuring Amanda Serrano taking on Stevie Morgan, was released on Wednesday, June 19.
The show will be available to watch on DAZN PPV for $64.99. That price is steep for a card that doesn’t feature elite boxers in the main event. However, Perry is Paul’s best opponent for multiple reasons.
At 32, Perry is a whopping 27 years younger than Tyson. The gap between them is large enough to represent a legal adult and their six-year-old child.
Perry is also a legitimate fighter. I didn’t specify the sport because calling him a fighter is more of a compliment and a proper representation of what the Flint, Michigan, native is at his core.
During Perry’s combat sports career, he has compiled a 14-8 record as a mixed martial artist. Perry wins over Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts, Paul Felder, Jake Ellenberger, Alex Oliveira, and Mickey Gall.
As solid as he was in MMA, Perry has found his niche in BKFC, where he is a perfect 5-0 with wins over Michael “Venom” Page, Luke Rockhold, Julian Lane, Eddie Alvarez, and most recently, Thiago Alves in April.
All but two of those BKFC victories came via stoppage. He’s had just one conventional boxing match as a pro, and he lost that fight via knockout to Kenneth McNeil in March 2015.
Perry is also a character who will drive some interest in the fight. For example, he posted a video on Instagram wearing what looks like a crown from a Burger King kid’s meal and wielding a sword.
When you factor in Perry’s combat sports resume, age, and antics, there are elements in place for this fight to be more entertaining than the potential scrap with Tyson.
In addition to Serrano-Morgan, the card will feature a battle between two undefeated, up-and-coming lightweights, Toney Aguilar and Corey Marksman.
Serrano was supposed to be having her rematch with Katie Taylor on this date, but it appears MVP Promotions are looking to push that fight back so that it can remain the co-main event for the still-planned but potentially doomed Paul-Tyson clash. For now, Paul-Tyson has been rescheduled until November 15. If and when it happens, it’ll be just as big of a draw as it would have been in July. It’s an undeniable event if it isn’t advisable.
As it is, the Paul-Perry event will happen on a reasonably soft weekend for combat sports. There aren’t any major boxing events happening that weekend. The MMA scene is also non-threatening to the draw toward the Paul-Perry clash.
There will be a UFC event on July 20, but it is at the Apex. While the main event hasn’t been announced, it is unlikely to feature a matchup that draws people away from Paul-Perry.
Like it or not, Paul might be set to own a choice date in the middle of the summer combat sports calendar.
