Mike Perry has his sights set on a former UFC champ for his next bare-knuckle fight.
During Saturday’s BKFC Hollywood card, Perry took part in an in-ring interview with Cyrus Fees and was asked what he wanted next, and the promotion’s biggest star singled out Robbie Lawler as an opponent he’d like to face.
“I think who should face me next — I see Robbie Lawler in the crowd and I think he should take the gloves off, and he should step inside the squared circle against ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry,” Perry said.
Perry hasn’t competed in the BKFC ring since his 60 second knockout of Thiago Alves at KnuckleMania 4 in April. Since then, the 33-year-old took a boxing match with Jake Paul in July after a medical emergency to Mike Tyson delayed his fight with Paul to November.
Paul stopped Perry in the sixth round in Tampa, which led to UFC star and current BKFC co-owner Conor McGregor to fire Perry on social media — something that has become sort of long-standing joke ever since.
After Perry’s callout of Lawler, perhaps Perry is back in the good graces of the former two-division UFC champion because McGregor showed his excitement for the idea on Twitter.
What a show! Perry vs Lawler? Gimme
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 22, 2024
“What a show,” McGregor said. “Perry vs. Lawler? Gimme.”
Perry says he’s been waiting for an opponent to sign on to face him, but he’s come up empty-handed. Lawler, who retired from the UFC in July 2023 following a sensational knockout of Niko Price at UFC 290, seems like a perfect fit for the promotion. Perry seems to agree with that as well.
“Listen, man, I’m the best to ever be up in this ring [with] no gloves,” Perry said. “There’s nobody [that’s] ever done it like me, and I’m waiting for my chance to shine again. The world tried to take things from me. I’m ready for my next opportunity and it doesn’t seem like anybody [wants] to step up to the line.
“So what I thought is Robbie Lawler might just be tough enough to do it.”
