TAMPA, FLORIDA – JULY 20: Jake Paul reacts after defeating Mike Perry by technical knockout in their … [+]
Jake Paul registered another KO victory on Saturday night at the Amelie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Paul smoked Mike Perry via sixth-round TKO in the main event of the MVP show. Oddly enough, Paul’s boxing experience was the key as Perry looked about as amateurish as anyone who has ever fought in such a big event. Paul dropped Perry three times en route to the victory.
This is a look at the first knockdown, which was more a product of the weight of the punch. Perry wasn’t rocked yet, that would come later in the fight.
The finish came after a flurry in the sixth round. Perry got to his feet, and the referee was going to allow him to continue, but a stumble as he attempted to move to his right made the official’s decision easy.
Here is a look at the finish:
Perry refused to keep his hands up throughout the fight and ate shots throughout the evening. The BKFC champion’s best round was the third. Paul looked a bit gassed, and Perry’s pressure put the fight on the cusp of a momentum shift. In the fourth round, Paul flipped the script back in his favor.
Using his jab and a few shots to the body, Paul exposed Perry’s rudimentary boxing skills, leading to the KO. After the fight, Paul briefly discussed his win but focused more on his next opponent, Mike Tyson. Paul was originally supposed to face Tyson on this date, but medical issues pushed the latter out of the event.
Paul confirmed that the rescheduled fight with the heavyweight legend is still on Netflix for November 15. According to Paul, Tyson is back training and preparing for the historic event that will launch Netflix’s live sports content ahead of WWE Raw landing on the streaming service in 2025.
After the Tyson talk, Paul showed interest in facing Perry in BKFC or MMA with the Professional Fighters League. Perry clarified that he would be down to rematch Paul on either platform. Perhaps Paul’s most eye-popping callout was his challenge to current UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. Here is a look at the clip:
Recently, Pereira expressed an interest in boxing, and Paul picked up on those comments and called out the dangerous Brazilian.
After the Perry fight, Paul was even seen speaking with Pereira on FaceTime in the ring. Despite the callouts and the conversation in the ring, it is doubtful we will see Paul face Pereira–at least anytime soon.
Pereira is still under contract with the UFC, and historically, the promotion has rarely approved one of its fighters taking a fight in another sport. Pereira’s status as champion and arguably the promotion’s most powerful active draw makes that all the more unlikely. For now, fans of the Paul crossover events may have to settle for the clash with Tyson.
Chances are–even with the boxing Hall-of-Famer being 59 years old–will be more competitive than what we saw from Perry on Saturday.