Mike Perry insists he's ready to teach Jake Paul a lesson about fighting when the two clash TONIGHT... as the former UFC fighter reveals he felt destined to replace Mike Tyson against the viral star

Mike Perry chosen to face Jake Paul after Mike Tyson withdrew due to injury
Former UFC star to return to boxing ring for first time since 2015

Mike Perry has named the intangible element he believes gives him the edge when facing Jake Paul.

Paul was originally scheduled to face former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, before the former undisputed heavyweight champion pulled out after suffering a health scare on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles.

The controversial fight has since been rescheduled for November 15, but Paul has opted to stay active in the meantime and picked former UFC star Perry as his opponent.

Saturday’s fight marks Perry’s first professional boxing bout in nearly a decade, but the 32-year-old has remained active in the ring, amassing an undefeated record as one of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s biggest stars.

Speaking exclusively to Mail Sport, Perry insisted his willingness to fight sets him apart from other MMA fighters Paul has fought.

Mike Perry will face Jake Paul in an eight-round professional boxing match on Saturday night

Former UFC star replaced Mike Tyson after he was forced to retire

Perry insisted he felt it was destiny that called him to replace Tyson on Saturday.

“I think I fight a lot harder than any of those guys,” he said.

“I know what to expect when I fight. You know, I’m ready to take a hit to land a better one.

“Tyron Woodley, he was a UFC champion, Anderson Silva was maybe a little past his prime when he fought Jake, and he was still able to hold his own.

“(Silva) was having a little fun. I’m not here to mess around. Jake doesn’t mess around when he’s here. He doesn’t play games when he fights.

“Fear is a good thing to have in your back pocket when fighting because it keeps you sharp and motivated to make all the moves you’re supposed to make and I’m willing to teach him more about fighting.”

Since embarking on his boxing career, Paul has quickly become one of the sport’s most polarizing figures, with critics claiming he has carefully selected opponents from the MMA world who represent stylistically favorable matchups.

A highly anticipated fight with Tommy Fury represented his first clash with a career boxer, with the two men facing off in Saudi Arabia in February last year.

The social media star has lost just one of his first ten fights as a professional boxer.

In March, Paul earned a first-round knockout victory over Ryan Bourland in Puerto Rico.

Perry insisted his aggressive style would allow him to fare better than Paul’s previous opponents in the MMA world.

Paul exceeded the expectations of many against the younger brother of former unified heavyweight king Tyson, but still found himself on the wrong end of a split decision.

The former Disney Channel star bounced back by beating Nate Diaz in August before racking up consecutive stoppage wins over relative unknowns to run his professional record to 9-1.

Despite the backlash and concerns over Tyson’s health, the rumored clash with Iron Mike arguably marked the biggest showdown of his career to date.

However, Perry insisted he always felt he was destined to step in and seize the opportunity to spoil the party.

“I kind of expected it,” Perry continued.

“Because the way Jake would do videos for Mike Tyson to promote the fight, he would say, ‘Mike’ or ‘Mikey Mike’ and I would be like, ‘Man, he’s talking to me, man.

“It makes no sense that he’s fighting Mike Tyson, 58, when there’s a lot of talk that he should fight me.

“I just finished my last fight, then went back to the gym and started slowly preparing for a quick turnaround.”

Perry immediately became a fan favorite during his time in the UFC for his aggressive style.

The 32-year-old has since become one of bare-knuckle boxing’s biggest stars.

Although he left the UFC in 2021 after winning just one of his last five fights in the promotion, Perry had already established himself as a fan favorite for his action-packed fighting style and unique personality.

The 32-year-old’s rising star power has continued to grow in the years since thanks to his bare-knuckle efforts and, despite trading barbs with Paul at a press conference earlier this week, he admitted he held no ill will towards his opponent on Saturday.

“Yeah, man, I like Jake,” he admitted. “I’m grateful for the opportunity. This is my chance and I might be the one to beat this kid.”

“No matter what people say, some will give me credit, some won’t, I know that. I think the MMA community would be thrilled if I had managed to do this job.

“So I come to lead the fight, that’s what I’m here for. That’s my job.”