(Photo Credit: David V. Faison)
Making his UFC debut in August 2016, Mike Perry quickly became a fan favorite due to his knockout power and charisma. He will look to get back in the win column this Saturday night when he faces off against Max Griffin in his hometown of Orlando, Florida. Perry took a loss in his last fight to Santiago Ponzinibbio just over two months ago. He will look to get his revenge and make a push toward the welterweight rankings.
A cult following
Mike Perry took the MMA world by storm in 2014 and has been gaining fans at a rapid pace ever since. He has only been a professional for a little over three years but his boxing background has allowed him to progress at a much faster rate than most fighters. As he famously stated. "I'm a blue belt in jiu-jitsu but I'm a black belt with these hands." Those hands have served Perry well in his transition to the UFC.
Perry has 11 wins on his record and all of them are knockouts. Coincidentally his only two losses came by unanimous decision. There is clearly a formula for a Mike Perry fight and that is to stand and trade until his opponent goes down the horn sounds. Either way, a post-fight bonus is likely to be considered. "Platinum" Mike Perry earned two consecutive Performance of the Night bonuses before his recent loss. He finished Jake Ellenberger with a devastating elbow that knocked him out cold and finished Alex Reyes with an equally scary knee. When Perry is in the cage, don't blink. The fight could end any second.
Redemption time
Perry's chance to make it into the rankings may have taken a hit after his loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio but his fan base could only have grown. Ponzinibbio hit Perry with multiple shots that would have put most men on this planet to sleep but apparently, Perry keeps a block of lead in his chin. Ponzinibbio clearly won the fight but the heart and refusal to quit shown by Perry is the exact reason his fans are so passionate. His heart as well as his chin will be put to the test once more at UFC on FOX 28 in Orlando, Florida this Saturday night.
Max "Pain" Griffin will be the next man to survive the power of "Platinum" Mike Perry. Griffin is coming off a loss to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in October so these fighters will both be hungry to get back in the win column. Griffin is not afraid to stand in the middle of the octagon and throw leather so this should be another exciting fight. Perry claims he has trained even harder than he did for Ponzinibbio so we will see if the knockout artist can add another highlight to his reel.
Will Mike Perry get past Max Griffin this Saturday? Leave a comment below.