“Platinum” Mike Perry is a UFC veteran and now the mixed martial artist is taking on a new challenge; bare knuckle boxing. He’s not just competing at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s Knucklemania II this weekend, he’s the headliner in the main event. “I'm already the highlight of the night. So let's go, man. Let's make him a highlight. Let's make my opponent into a highlight,” Perry tells MILLIONS.
Perry has always been a natural striker with a professional record of 14-8 that includes 11 knockouts. He has dangerous knees and elbows, but his fists are like mini grenades. He says he’s looking forward to a competition where he doesn’t need to worry about wrestling and the ground game, “I've always done all these grappling trainings, and wrestling and then… I just punch, I just try to punch people.”
That’s why BKFC is a natural fit for “Platinum”, but it is his debut, and he’s trying to make sure he doesn’t underestimate his opponent, Julian Lane.
“I have a game opponent, I don't know if he's going to back up, I don't know if he's going to come forward. I'm sure he will come forward at some point. I'm going to try to be faster. He's a muscular guy. So, I'm hoping he's a little stiff and I'm a little faster,” says Perry
Parts of the training process for Perry have changed, now that he’s competing in a different arena. “Really my training camps have just become what I've always wanted them to be,” says Perry, who feels more in tune with what his body wants and needs, “I take my time and I do what I want to do, where I build, what I want to build.”
A less regimented training routine is also helping Perry find the fun in the sport. He says whether he’s training, or competing, he wants to bring the same mindset, “I'm ready to fight whoever is in front of me and I try to be swaggy. I try to be cool. I keep my cool and I try to be exciting and like I try to put cool moves together, man, try to like finishers, like as if it was a video game.”
“Platinum” seems to be a showman at heart, and he knows his fans love it. Perry is calling on all of them to help fuel him to victory on Saturday, “keep sending the positive vibes and energy to me, and it's like Goku with the spirit bomb. I'm going to take that in and I'm going to put it right in my opponent's face and hit them with everything that I've got.”
You can support Perry by buying his merchandise. You can also ask him anything and he’ll respond with a Personal Video. Fans can follow Perry on Instagram @platinummikeperry and on Twitter @PlatinumPerry and follow his fight journey by regularly checking out the MILLIONS blog.