'Big' John McCarthy predicts outcome of Mike Perry vs. Luke Rockhold in MMA

Heading into the BKFC 41 main event, there was intrigue to see how Luke Rockhold would perform in his new surroundings against a gritty Mike Perry.

As many expected, the bare-knuckle regular managed to implement his relentless style and earn a TKO victory. However, 'Big' John McCarthy believes the fight would be completely different if it took place in MMA.

Despite ending his career in the octagon with a record of 6-5, the American Kickboxing Academy standout was once considered the greatest middleweight in the world. As well as holding titles in both the UFC and Strikeforce, Rockhold beat some of the best fighters the sport has ever seen to prove he is one of the 185-pound greats.

While discussing the BKFC clash between Mike Perry and Luke Rockhold, legendary referee-turned-commentator John McCarthy insisted that the bout would play out in a totally different manner if they met inside an MMA cage instead:

"That's [BKFC] tailor-made for him [Mike Perry], this is fantastic for him. I love it. He's got the personality for it, he's got the skillset for it, he's tough as hell. You can take somebody like a Mike Perry who was average in MMA. [He] had some good wins, [he] had some big losses, but he can be special in this. If you put Mike Perry and Luke Rockhold in the UFC together, it's a fu**ing mismatch. Luke Rockhold fu**ing eats him up, he submits him."

'Platinum' Perry has managed to find large success in his career since departing from the UFC following a run of bad performances. Since making his BKFC debut, he has won three straight and is arguably the current face of the promotion.

Check out what John McCarthy had to say regarding a hypothetical MMA fight between the two in the video below:

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What's next for Luke Rockhold following his devastating loss to Mike Perry?

It looked as if Rockhold would retire from combat sports after losing a one-sided decision to Paulo Costa in his most recent outing in the UFC, but that wasn't the case. He now seems determined to feed his competitive spirit.

The Californian has been publicly stating his interest in a move into the boxing ring for some time and looks all but set to make his debut in the sport in the near future.

Sharing his reaction after the loss to Mike Perry, Luke Rockhold stated that he's not yet finished fighting and hinted at an imminent venture into the squared circle once he heals up.