Mike Perry explains ‘no-brainer’ decision to re-sign with BKFC over UFC - “The pay cut would have been too massive”

Mike Perry extended his contract with BKFC by signing a fresh multi-fight agreement last month.

The former UFC welterweight fighter joined BKFC and quickly left his mark with a win against Julian Lane in his debut back in 2021. Perry then took on former Bellator star Michael 'Venom' Page in a crossover fight held in London.

The highlight of his BKFC journey came in April, when 'Platinum' Mike Perry participated in one of the promotion's biggest events to date. He went head-to-head with former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, and the star-studded event included Conor McGregor in the audience. Perry unleashed a flurry of powerful punches in the second round, forcing Rockhold to withdraw. After the fight, Perry revealed that it marked the end of his contract with the promotion.

Mike Perry recently clarified why he chose to renew his contract with BKFC instead of considering a comeback to the UFC octagon.

During a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Perry stated:

"No. Because... the pay cut would have been too massive. So, it's like whatever, and it's like five-minute rounds and it's MMA and you know I like the boxing. I mean all I ever did in MMA, I mean I trained a lot of stuff and I would even get kind of good at grappling, wrestling, or whatever in certain positions and it's like I'm fighting in a fight to get a takedown."

He added:

"I should ultimately fight how I wanna fight. So I'm the fighter, I'm the athlete who wants to get in there. So that's how I train now, I get in the ring and I fight my way now. I practice for it that way so bare-knuckle was a no-brainer."

Check out Perry's comments below:

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Mike Perry predicts Conor McGregor's UFC contract will certainly prohibit a bare-knuckle bout

Mike Perry and Conor McGregor had an encounter at the BKFC 41 event in April. Following his TKO victory over Luke Rockhold, 'Platinum' invited McGregor into the ring for a faceoff, which gained significant attention on social media. This led some fans to wonder if 'The Notorious' might participate in a bare-knuckle boxing match.

However, McGregor is still under contract with the UFC, making it highly unlikely for him to compete in another promotion like BKFC. Consequently, Perry may have to wait several years before the possibility of facing McGregor in a gloveless bout becomes feasible.

During the same episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Perry stated:

"I don’t think so because I think he’s pretty locked up with the UFC. I asked for the faceoff [at BKFC 41] just for the attention Conor brings. I mean he’s done it, man. He reached the pinnacle, and everyone pays attention. He was at the show, and I just wanted to give him a little ring time. Thanks for coming, thanks for the good-looking faceoff."

Check out Mike Perry's comments below: