If you anticipated a Mike Perry–Conor McGregor showdown this year, you know exponentially more than the rest of us.
Most of us were not that clairvoyant, yet that is exactly how Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship ended its tremendously successful BKFC 41 pay-per-view Saturday night. Perry defeated Luke Rockhold in the BKFC 41 main event, then had a squared circle showdown with the UFC icon.
“What a great way to end the night,” says Perry. “Conor’s a fan of boxing. Maybe he’ll be a fan of real, bare-knuckle boxing without the pillows on his hands. He got aggressive with me. Conor knows he’s untouchable, but I’m a badass bare-knuckle boxer. If I heard ‘Toe The Line’ with him standing in front of me, I’d do what I do and I’d do it to him.”
The main event at #BKFC41 ended in suprising fasion but in an even stranger turn of events, Conor McGregor faced off against Mike Perry?! pic.twitter.com/ZNgcuK4fAD
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) April 30, 2023
The Perry-Rockhold light heavyweight bout ended just over a minute into the second round. Perry (3–0) won courtesy of a second-round TKO. The finishing sequence came into motion in the closing seconds of the first, when Perry rocked Rockhold (0–1) in the mouth with a left hand.
That blow chipped Rockhold’s teeth, and he never recovered. Only 75 seconds into the second, Rockhold removed his mouthpiece and ended the fight.
“He had a terrible mouthpiece, in my opinion,” says Perry. “I don’t even know if it was boiled to fit his mouth. I have a nice custom one—it’s easy to breathe and drink water, I don’t even want to take it off. As long as he’s been in the game, I can’t believe it. But I’m not going to take anything away from myself. I connected with a good shot, I was beating on his body and I’m the better boxer. He’s tough and he was in great shape, but I went out there and beat him.”
Following the bout, Perry confirmed this was the final fight on his BKFC contract. All signs point to a new deal, especially with the wheels in motion for a bout against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
“That was my last fight on contract, but I love [BKFC president] David Feldman, Bare Knuckle, and the fans—they love this bloody stuff, too,” says Perry, who was in great spirits after the fight, with his only blemishes a few stitches on his face and knuckle. “I wish the competition was a little tougher. It was only a couple minutes. I guess I beat it out of him. I hit him directly and did exactly what I wanted to do. Rockhold kept saying he never quits, but that’s exactly what he did.”
One constant in Perry’s career had been controversy. Domestic violence allegations, as well as misdemeanor and offensive language, helped lead to his removal from the UFC. He now appears to have peace in his life away from combat sports that previously did not exist.
“I have a beautiful fiancé and I have two beautiful children,” says Perry, 31. “I’ve grown up. I’m a father, and I want my kids to have a great life. They’re part of my growth. I have a great team around me, I love boxing, and I love this Bare Knuckle crew. I’m facing my fear and performing, doing it for me, my family, and my fans.”
Perry won 11 of his first 12 fights in the Octagon, but struggled mightily after that, losing seven of his next 10. One of those losses was a submission defeat against Cerrone, but redemption could be found in BKFC. There is also the potential for a title bout against reigning light heavyweight champ Lorenzo Hunt.
“I had a face-off against Conor McGregor. That’s big news,” says Perry. “I’m climbing the mountain. I’m going even higher. The only direction to move is up.
“I’m doing what I’m good at, and that’s fighting. I’d like to fight again this year. I’ll be back in the gym this week, and I’ll be ready for whoever is next.”
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
