During their weigh-in on Friday, Jake Paul stirred controversy by pushing Mike Perry and launching into a tirade against UFC president Dana White and MMA fighters, asserting they have been actively trying to discredit him from the sport.
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Mike Perry
The altercation began when Paul shoved Perry during their face-off at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, and escalated during an interview with Ariel Helwani on stage.
“He flew like six feet,’’ Paul remarked, referring to Perry’s reaction to the shove. “But look, Dana White said that he’s going to give (Perry) a UFC contract if he could knock me out. Well, guess what, Dana? You can rip up the (expletive) contract because I’m going to (expletive) up Mike Perry. Anyone you send at me, any one of your MMA fighters is getting (expletive) up.”
Paul continued his diatribe, alleging a concerted effort to undermine his role in the sport: “They’ve been trying to assassinate me. They don’t want me in this sport. They hate that I run this sport, but when you try to assassinate a guy like me, it only makes me bigger. I’m on a mission from God, a mission from God, a servant of God to save this sport. And that’s exactly what I will keep doing. Keep on winning, keep on fighting.”
In response to Paul’s aggression, Perry retaliated during the weigh-in, prompting security guards to intervene and separate the two fighters.
“They working hard to protect him, bro,’’ Perry remarked, referring to Paul. “But tomorrow night in the ring, when it’s just me and him, no protection. He going down.”
Perry, known for his stint in the UFC and subsequent success in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, emphasized his determination to prevail in the upcoming match: “You’ve seen how hard those big guys had to work to get me back. I was pushing through the (men). Moving all of they (expletive). That’s like a thousand pounds of pressure. That’s called ‘Platinum Pressure.’ I’m putting it on him tomorrow night.”
Regarding the purported UFC contract offer, Perry’s trainer James “JT” Taylor expressed uncertainty, stating he was unaware of any such proposal from Dana White. Representatives from the UFC did not respond immediately to inquiries regarding the matter.
The tension between Paul and Perry underscores the intensity surrounding their upcoming bout. Perry, known as the “King of Violence,” weighed in at 196.6 pounds, while Paul, with a boxing record of 9-1 and six knockouts, hit the cruiserweight limit at 200 pounds.
As the confrontation unfolded, verbal sparring preceded physical altercations: “Why are you nervous?’’ Paul taunted Perry. “I can see it in your eyes.”
Perry, undeterred by the weigh-in scuffle, emphasized his focus on the fight: “You can have all this,’’ Perry affirmed. “I want the ring tomorrow. That’s all I want.’’
With tensions at a peak, Paul retorted with a menacing prediction: “You’re going to eat the ring tomorrow. Face first.’’
The heated exchange sets the stage for a highly anticipated showdown between Paul and Perry, promising an electrifying spectacle for fight fans.
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