When Mike Tyson was unable to fight on July 20 due to health issues, most believed Jake Paul would just continue to wait until he could eventually face the legendary heavyweight on a marquee card set to air on Netflix.
The Tyson fight was eventually rescheduled for November, but rather than sit on the sidelines, Paul ended up booking a boxing match against UFC veteran and current BKFC superstar Mike Perry. By all accounts, Perry could be a much tougher matchup than Tyson considering he’s 32 years old, he’s in the prime of his career, and he’s a savage knockout artist with power in both hands.
Even veteran analyst Dan Hardy was a bit shocked to hear that Paul potentially risked his Tyson fight by taking on Perry this Saturday.
“It’s a recipe for disaster for Jake Paul,” Hardy told MMA Fighting. “I’m really genuinely surprised that he’s allowing Mike Perry to punch him, because Mike Perry is going to savor the opportunity.”
While he never blossomed into a true UFC contender, Perry was always entertaining, but he really found his groove after transitioning into bare-knuckle boxing with BKFC.
Since signing there, Perry has put together a perfect 5-0 record that included high-profile finishes over ex-UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez. He also scored a win over veteran boxer Michael Seals in an adjusted rule set match back in 2021.
More than anything, Perry brings a level of ferocity to his fights that Paul may have never experienced before, which is why Hardy cautions him to take this matchup very seriously — or he might wake up staring at the lights.
“Mike Perry’s an animal,” Hardy said. “He’s an absolute barbarian and he is made for striking sports. Anything where he doesn’t have to worry about someone trying to hold onto him and take him down and make it a slow night for him, he is perfect. Jake Paul is big and he’s powerful and he’s well-conditioned and his boxing game is improving, absolutely. When he fought Nate [Diaz], I thought he was going to be too much for Nate. Nate just didn’t land anything of any significance. He wasn’t able to really concern Jake Paul or disorganize him in any way.
“Then you look at what Mike Perry can do, even just getting his forehead in your face, throwing mad shots around the side. He’s going to make it absolute chaos in there. That kind of intensity is something that I don’t think Jake Paul has ever experienced in a combat sports scenario before. Maybe in sparring, if he’s got the right coaches to bring in the challenging sparring partners, but Mike Perry is there to eat your face and you’ve got to be prepared for that kind of intensity. I don’t think Jake Paul is fully aware of the pressure he’s going to be under from the first bell with Mike Perry.”
For all the wins that Paul has on his record against MMA veterans, Hardy knows none of those fights came against an opponent quite like Perry.
If he’s not truly ready for what’s about to happen on Saturday, Hardy knows Paul could be in for a very rude awakening.
“Against Nate Diaz, you’re going to feel like you’re being waterboarded, but you might not feel like you’re getting hurt,” Hardy said. “Against Ben Askren, what are you going to worry about when he’s wearing boxing gloves? Against Tyron Woodley, he’s dangerous if he throws something.
“With Mike Perry, you’ve got all of those problems rolled into one. You’ve got someone that’s absolutely going to throw at you. You’ve got someone that’s going to be in your face the whole time, and he’s got enough power to really hurt you as well.”
If Paul is successful, it’s entirely possible that Perry immediately becomes the biggest win on his résumé, especially compared to a potential victory over a 58-year-old Tyson.
As much as Tyson still means to the combat sports world, Hardy knows the legend’s best days are long since behind him. Paul beating Tyson now may get him a big paycheck and a lot of attention, but it’s not like he’s beating a Tyson who’s anywhere near his prime.
“There’s always a danger fighting someone like Mike Tyson, but you just don’t get a great deal from beating him at this stage, at this age,” Hardy said. “He didn’t get the accolades that he would have for beating Anderson Silva because Silva was 47, and what’s Tyson? It would just cast him in a bad light regardless of how the fight played out.”
