Jake Paul is forging on with the highly-anticipated July 20 fight, even if it means getting a new “Mike.” Weeks after Mike Tyson suffered a health emergency while mid-air, Paul has found himself a younger opponent. The new update means the brawl will go on as planned, but Paul’s new contender might pose as much trouble as the decommissioned boxing champion.
Mike Perry of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship will be the one in the ring with Paul on July 20. The pair will fight it out in an eight-round cruiserweight bout at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The event will, however, not be streamed on Netflix, as was the case with Paul vs. Tyson. Instead, it will be billed as “Fear No Man” and air on DAZN Pay-Per-View. Although Perry isn’t exactly Tyson, the mixed martial artist has some impressive fists on him. He has a career record of 14-8 in professional MMA, with 11 of his wins coming via knockout.
After leaving UFC in October 2021, Perry joined Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in 2022 and has remained undefeated in six games, three of which he won by knockout. Despite having such an accomplished opponent, Paul remains unfazed. The YouTuber-turned-boxer said in a statement:
“When Paul vs. Tyson was rescheduled, I knew immediately that I wanted to still fight on Saturday, July 20. Now, as I prepare for my fight against Iron Mike, there’s no better opponent for me than Mike Perry.”
Jake Paul Tells New Opponent Mike Perry: ‘I Fear No Man’
The 27-year-old further told TMZ,
“This is the perfect experience for me to gain in advance of facing Mike Tyson. But getting that experience comes with risk. Those who know me know I’m a risk taker, and while ‘Platinum’ Perry might try to end me, I’m Titanium Jake Paul, and I fear no man.” Paul concluded, unequivocally stating he would win the match and “send ‘Platinum’ Perry the Platypus back to bare knuckle for good.”
32-year-old Perry, however, had some words in response to Paul’s statement. The athlete told ESPN,
“Jake Paul claims he fears no man, but on Saturday, July 20, the world will see the truth: he just made the worst mistake of his life in trying to get through me before Iron Mike.”
July 20 cannot come any quicker at this point!
