Mike Perry (fighter)


Michael Joseph Perry is an American professional mixed martial artist, currently competing in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Background

Perry was born in Flint, Michigan, on September 15, 1991. For much of his life, he moved around to different schools between Michigan and Florida. He said, " I was one of maybe 10 white kids in the whole school, so I was bullied a lot. It was the same thing at other schools. I wouldn’t back down, so I would get into fights." This instability led him to a path of drugs, house arrest, probation violation, and jail. Perry started training boxing at age 11. Upon his release from jail for burglary, he got a job as a trainer at a UFC gym in Winter Springs, Florida. His work as a trainer led to his career as a fighter.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Perry made his professional debut in September 2014, after completing 11 amateur fights with a record of 8-3. He competed for several regional promotions across the United States. In just under two years, he fought nine times while finishing all of his opponents via KO/TKO.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Perry made his UFC debut on short notice against Lim Hyun-gyu on August 20, 2016, at UFC 202, after Sultan Aliev pulled out due to injury. At the official weigh-ins, Perry faked a handshake with Lim then put his hands up yelling to Lim, "You thought you had a friend, boy!" before screaming at his opponent. He defeated Lim via TKO in the first round after Perry dropped him twice with right hands, dropped him again with a left hook and then followed up with ground and pound before the referee jumped in to stop the fight.
During the fight against Lim, Perry's cornerman and fellow fighter Alex Nicholson shouted during the pre-fight introductions, "He can't even open his motherfucking eyes." Nicholson was accused of racism for this, as Lim is Korean. Nicholson later addressed the comment on Twitter, saying, "I respect every man who steps in the cage and my comments were insensitive towards Lim I was hype for my brother but It's all love no hate." On the Monday following the fight Perry said on The MMA Hour, "I don't think any of my competition can see me, and when I hit Lim, I opened a lot of people's eyes."
Perry faced Danny Roberts on October 8, 2016, at UFC 204. At the official weigh-ins Perry took a bite from a bar of chocolate and then told Roberts he was going to eat him alive. He defeated Roberts via KO late in the third round after Perry hurt him with a knee from the clinch, dropped him with a right hand and then followed up with ground and pound before the referee jumped in to stop the fight. The referee Marc Goddard appeared to stop the fight late, issuing an apology after the event via Twitter.
Perry faced Alan Jouban, on December 17, 2016, at UFC on Fox 22. At the official weigh-ins Perry took a polaroid photo of Jouban and then tried to hand the photo to him as they traded words, but Jouban slapped it away with his hand and Perry aggressively feigned movement towards him while sticking his tongue out. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Perry faced Jake Ellenberger on April 22, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 108. He defeated Ellenberger via KO in the second round after Perry dropped him with a left hook early in round two then finished with a standing elbow from the clinch 30 seconds later. Perry was awarded a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Perry was expected to face Thiago Alves on September 16, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 116. Alves was pulled from the event and was replaced by newcomer Alex Reyes. He won the fight via knockout. The win also earned Perry his second Performance of the Night bonus award.
Perry faced Santiago Ponzinibbio on December 16, 2017, at. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Perry faced Max Griffin on February 24, 2018 at He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Perry was expected to face Yancy Medeiros on July 7, 2018 at UFC 226. However, Medeiros pulled out of the fight on June 27 citing a rib injury. The following day, it was announced that Paul Felder would step in to face Perry in a Welterweight bout at the same event. Perry won the fight via split decision.
Perry faced Donald Cerrone on November 10, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 139. Perry lost the fight via submission due to an armbar in round one, marking the first time he had been finished in a professional mixed martial arts contest.
After the fight with Cerrone, Perry signed a new four-fight contract with the UFC and faced Alex Oliveira on April 27, 2019 at. He won the back-and-forth fight by unanimous decision. The win also earned Perry his first Fight of the Night bonus award.
Perry faced Vicente Luque on August 10, 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 14. He lost the fight via split decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award. As a result, Perry was expected to be sidelined for the remainder of 2019 after undergoing surgery to correct facial injuries sustained during the Luque fight.
Perry faced Geoff Neal on December 14, 2019 at UFC 245. He lost the bout via first round technical knockout, marking the first loss in his MMA career by knockout.
Perry faced Mickey Gall on June 27, 2020 at. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Submission Underground

On Feb 23, 2020, Perry faced Al Iaquinta in a grappling contest at Chael Sonnen's Submission Underground 11 event. He won the match via fastest escape time.

Personal life

Perry married professional tennis player Danielle Nickerson in 2019, after five years of dating. They separated in 2020. For his fight against Mickey Gall in June 2020, Perry's corner consisted solely of his girlfriend Latory Gonzalez.
Perry has received criticism for his use of homophobic and racist slurs. In response to complaints by fans and fellow mixed martial artists over his use of the word "nigga", Perry posted a video on social media to state that a DNA test had shown he has 2% African ancestry.

Street fights

On New Years' Eve 2016, Perry was involved in an altercation in Orlando, Florida. A stranger had allegedly approached Perry's girlfriend, and punched Perry after Perry told him to go away, causing a fight that left the stranger unconscious after Perry landed a left hook.
In July 2020, Perry was questioned by police due to an incident at a restaurant in Lubbock, Texas, where three people were allegedly assaulted. Part of the incident was filmed, showing an elderly man and Perry in a heated dispute. The man lunged towards Perry, and Perry threw a right-hand punch. The man was unconscious when police arrived on the scene, and was hospitalized. Perry was charged with class A assault, a misdemeanor. Perry said his actions were a response to others initiating physical contact with him. Perry also reportedly was involved in a physical altercation with a woman, attacked a restaurant staffer, and repeatedly used the racial slur "nigga" during the incident.

Championships and accomplishments

Professional boxing record