Jake Paul had been expecting to face boxing legend Mike Tyson in Arlington this weekend but an injury to the former heavyweight world champion means he is instead taking on stand-in opponent Mike Perry.
Tyson was forced to pull out of the July date due to an inflamed ulcer but Paul will get his shot at Iron Mike later in the year, with a new date set for November.
Paul may feel he needs to beat Perry to ensure his showdown with Tyson goes ahead but in truth the result of this bout may not have a major impact on that impending showdown. But that doesn’t mean beating Perry is a straightforward assignment for the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
Perry has a 0-1 record in professional boxing, losing via KO to Kenneth McNeil back in 2015 before turning his attention to MMA and the UFC.
However, he has since moved into bare-knuckle boxing and has put together a 5-0 record in that discipline, suggesting he has a little bit more talent in this sport than the former MMA fighters Paul has faced.
Perry represents a challenge for Paul and with three stoppage wins in five bare-knuckle contests he obviously carries some power, but an upset still looks unlikely here.
When Paul faced Tommy Fury back in February 2023 it was Perry who was the backup option if that clash had fallen through, and he adopted the same role for the Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis event in October of that year.
That has to suggest that this is an opponent Paul feels he can get the better of but one who will be able to put on a good show.
There are other reasons to feel a Paul win seems far more likely. The 27-year-old has his critics but there can be no denying he has a bit of natural talent as a boxer and he seems dedicated to the sport, even if his choice of opponents tends to be a little questionable.
Paul was last seen in March as he overcame Ryan Bourland with a stunning first round stoppage. Bourland may be relatively unknown but he is an out-and-out boxer who had put together a 17-2 record prior to coming up against Paul.
Prior to that, he stopped another bona fide boxer in the first round with a brutal early finish against Andre August, who was 10-1-1 going into that bout.
Perry may have more experience as a professional fighter but in boxing it is Paul who has the edge in that regard, and he can make sure he remains on track to take on Tyson by winning in Tampa on Saturday night.
Paul’s last two wins have been highlight-reel first-round stoppages but those successes came against opponents who had been inactive.
Perry should be well prepared for this bout as he has fought twice in BKFC since the start of December, winning both contests via stoppages. The 32-year-old was only stopped twice during his 22-fight MMA/UFC career and only one of those was a KO, with the other early finish coming via submission.
As a bare-knuckle fighter, he has to be able to take a bit of punishment and he should have a solid defensive skill set, indicating he may be able to last the full distance here.
Paul was taken the full 10 rounds by Nate Diaz when he last came up against a former UFC star but managed to get the decision, and it could be a similar story against Perry in this eight-round affair.
Jake Paul | Mike Perry | |
Money Line | -450 | +333 |
By KO, TKO or DQ | -138 | +500 |
By Decision or Technical Decision | +250 | +1200 |
Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.