Jake Paul announced he will face mixed martial artist and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s Mike Perry in an eight-round cruiserweight bout at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, on July 20 – the date when the originally scheduled night fight between Paul and Mike Tyson was supposed to take place.
Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) will be facing an undefeated Perry (5-0, 3 KOs BKFC), who debuted in UFC in 2016 before signing with BKFC in 2021 after amassing a 7-8 record. Paul posted on his social media: “1 Mike, 2 Mikes, 3 Mikes, 4 * The fact is every opponent has touched the floor * 5 months until Tyson and I go to war * So in the meantime me & Perry are going to make Tampa roar * I fear no man, anytime, anywhere, anyplace * On July 20th it’s going to be another W, so let us say grace * For the BKFC champ, who will take a knee * Then we will go to Ireland and take McGregors equity”.
Paul was originally scheduled to face Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 20 in an event to be livestreamed on Netflix. However after the 57-year-old Tyson’s reported ulcer flare-up, that fight was rescheduled for Nov. 15 at the same venue, AT&T Stadium.
Paul said in a statement to ESPN: “When Paul vs. Tyson was rescheduled, I knew immediately that I wanted to still fight on Saturday, July 20. Now, as I prepare for my fight against Iron Mike, there’s no better opponent for me than Mike Perry. He’s a proven knockout artist who has shown to be a maniac in and out of the ring. This is the perfect experience for me to gain in advance of facing Mike Tyson. But getting that experience comes with risk. Those who know me know I’m a risk taker and while ‘Platinum’ Perry might try to end me, I’m Titanium Jake Paul and I fear no man. I’m going to get the W and give everyone a preview of what I’m bringing to the ring against Mike Tyson. Tune in on DAZN PPV as I return to Tampa and send ‘Platinum’ Perry the Platypus back to bare knuckle for good.”
Perry said in a statement: “Jake Paul claims he fears no man, but on Saturday, July 20, the world will see the truth: he just made the worst mistake of his life in trying to get through me before Iron Mike. I’m going to make it look easy on Saturday, July 20th, and I’m going to teach Jake Paul the most he’s ever learned about fighting.”
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