Tag: Mike Perry

Mickey Gall vs. Mike Perry in the works for UFC’s June 27 event

A welterweight bout between Mickey Gall and Mike Perry has been added to the UFC’s June 27 lineup.

A welterweight bout between [autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] has been added to the UFC’s June 27 lineup.

MMA Junkie verified with a person close to the situation that Gall (6-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Perry (13-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) agreed to the matchup following an initial report from ESPN. The person requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

The event, which does not have an official location, is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Broadcast plans have not been finalized.

Gall will attempt to win consecutive fights for the first time since 2016 following a decision win over Salim Touahri at UFC on ESPN 5 in August. He’s alternated wins and losses over his past four fights.

Perry, meanwhile, enters the contest on a two-fight skid and with just two wins in his past seven bouts overall. He most recently competed at UFC 245 in December, where he suffered his first knockout defeat against Geoff Neal.

With the addition, the UFC’s current June 27 lineup includes:

  • Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker
  • Aspen Ladd vs. Sara McMann
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Jennifer Maia
  • Alexa Grasso vs. Ji Yeon Kim
  • Maurice Greene vs. Gian Villante
  • Tanner Boser vs. Philipe Lins
  • Mickey Gall vs. Mike Perry

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Mike Perry done with coaches, says only his girlfriend will corner next UFC fight

“All I need the corner for is to pass me the bottle of water, wipe my head off or put the ice on my neck.”

UFC welterweight [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] will take a rather unconventional route for his next fight.

Perry (13-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC), who’s currently enduring a rough stretch having lost three of his last four, is looking to change things up. Having previously trained at gyms such as Fusion XL Academy in Florida, Perry is no longer part of a team, venting his frustration on how he doesn’t see any use of having coaches give him advice when they’re not the ones competing.

So who will be in Perry’s corner the next time he steps inside the octagon? Just one person, his girlfriend, who Perry says is all he needs.

“My girlfriend, just her,” Perry told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “If not, her and her friend.”

“I’m not listening to any coaches right now,” Perry added. “Coaches who are saying things that they ain’t gonna go in there and do. They want it to be this way or this way, and like it’s a totally different way. I need a guy like me to hold mitts; I want to hold mitts for myself to be honest with you. I can show people a couple of techniques or whatever, and I’m just ready to fight for my life. … Ain’t nobody gonna take this from me.”

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This approach to coaching and training was recently adopted by Diego Sanchez, who had School of Self-Awareness founder Joshua Fabia as his lone cornerman earlier this year, a decision that’s been met with criticism.

But Perry thinks there’s no use in him having a corner.

“All I need the corner for is to pass me the bottle of water,” Perry said. “Wipe my head off or put the ice on my neck when I get hot coming in between the rounds. It’s probably not gonna go more than five minutes, and if it does, all I need is a bottle of water. I need to sip a drink, put some ice on my neck, and I don’t need no advice.

“I feel like I never really gotten advice. I feel like people just sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher in the corner. … They don’t even know what the (expletive) to say because they wouldn’t go in there and do what the (expletive) they’re talking about. I don’t really know how the coaching (expletive) works. It doesn’t really matter.”

Perry last competed in December when he suffered a first-round stoppage loss to Geoff Neal, but he’s ready to get that sour taste out of his mouth and return as soon as possible.

“June, July – I’m ready,” Perry said. “Tomorrow, tonight, yesterday, the next day. It don’t matter, bro. Any one of these mother (expletive’s) can get it at any time. Let’s go.”

Mike Perry goes off on Darren Till with homophobic slurs: ‘I hate that mother(expletive’s) guts’

Remember when it seemed like Mike Perry and Darren Till were on good terms? That’s definitely no longer the case.

Remember when it seemed like [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] were on good terms? That’s definitely no longer the case.

There was a time when Perry (13-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) and Till (18-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) were angling to go at it in a welterweight fight. Varying wins and losses sent the two fighters in different directions, then they seemingly got on the same page with a famous sparring session in August 2018.

Till has since moved to middleweight, but in recent days tension has geared up on social media between the two. Till posted some insulting comments about Perry’s new girlfriend on Instagram, and that really, really didn’t sit well with “Platinum.”

“I wanna (expletive) Darren Till’s mom, too – (expletive) Darren Till,” Perry told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “I want to fight Darren Till. I want to fight him, then I want to jump out the cage like Khabib (Nurmagomedov) did and jump kick his mom in the face. (Expletive) Darren Till.

“He’s a (expletive) piece of (expletive). He’s a (expletive). There’s nothing wrong with being a (expletive) unless you just like sucking dick. That’s cool. He likes to suck dick. That’s why he wanted to go to the spa. (Expletive) him. Excuse my language if that’s terrible, but I hate that mother(expletive’s) guts. I don’t like when people say certain things.”

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Perry said that one way or another, he’s determined to share the octagon with Till eventually. He would even be willing to put on extra body mass and move up to middleweight.

“It doesn’t line up as well, because I’m 185 pounds right now,” Perry said. “If he wants to cut weight to 185, I’ll fight his ass at 185. I’ll try to put a couple pounds on, and I’ll be faster than him, and he’ll be a fat piece of (expletive). (Expletive) him.”

Perry also detailed the sparring session between the two sides and how he felt things went his way.

“I busted his eye open when we sparred that one time,” Perry said. “He has some heavy hips, I’ll tell him that. Because he’s a fat piece of (expletive) so his hips were heavy. His feet were glued to the (expletive) floor, but I busted his eye up, and I (expletive) him about 20 times with combinations, little pity pats to the face. He was easy to hit, it’s like he was a statute sitting still, and I was dancing around him then he tried to shoot on me, and I kneed him in the (expletive) eye, and he was bleeding in that little picture we took. You ask him about sparring with Mike Perry.”

If UFC is willing to put the fight together, Perry said he will be prepared to do it any time, any where.

“June, July – I’m ready,” Perry said. “Tomorrow, tonight, yesterday, the next day. It don’t matter, bro.”

Submission Underground 11: Boehm, Magalhaes claim tag-team win; Mike Perry outlasts Al Iaquinta

In a tag-team matchup, Kyle Boehm and Vinny Magalhaes claimed overtime victory over Craig Jones and Nicky Rodriguez at SUG 11.

In a tag-team matchup that Submission Underground founder Chael Sonnen calls “the future of grappling,” [autotag]Kyle Boehm[/autotag] and [autotag]Vinny Magalhaes[/autotag] claimed overtime victory over [autotag]Craig Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Nicky Rodriguez[/autotag].

The bout served as the headlining contest of Sunday’s Submission Underground 11, which streamed live on UFC Fight Pass from Roseland Theater in Portland, Ore.

With Magalhaes and Rodriguez starting in the center, Magalhaes quickly scooted near his partner in a seated position. Rodriguez spent the better part of two minutes trying to gain control of either an arm or a leg in hopes of dragging his opponent to the other side of the cage, but his grip kept sliding off. Referee Dave Hagen then brought the competitors to their feet on a restart.

After some brief engagement, Magalhaes again took a seated positioin and backed to his teammate, leading to another restart. Shortly after, Rodriguez was warned for his aggressive hand clasps to the back of the head. Hagen tried to reposition the two, but it continued as a stalemate.

Hagen stood the pair again with a little more than two minutes left, but Magalhaes was able to get close enough to his partner for a potential tag, leaving Rodriguez cautious as he walked forward and resulting in a contest incredibly light on action. The eight-minute regulation period without a single submission attempt, and the contest went to overtime.

In the extra session, Rodriguez started on the attack, but Boehm stepped in for Magalhaes and escaped in near instantaneous fashion. Rodriguez’s teammate Jones – who later explained he chose to sit out because he had been ill all week – protested the call, but the rapid work stood. Boehm also started on the back in his attacking session, and though he didn’t get a submission, he did spend nearly the entire two minutes in control.

Rodriguez started on the back again in the second, and things got interesting when he switched to an armbar, but Boehm escaped the threat and worked free in 17 seconds. Boehm then saw Rodriguez roll briskly in his defense, and he also notched a rapid escape.

In the third overtime, Boehm again escaped almost instantaneously, and while Rodriguez also worked free in just 14 seconds, the lengthy opening ride ensured victory for Boehm and Magalhaes, who remained unapologetic for their strategy despite clear frustration from the crowd in attendance.

‘Boogeyman’ too much for Jake Shields

In the night’s co-main event, veteran grappler [autotag]Richie Martinez[/autotag], the 10th Planet black belt known best as “Boogeyman,” was able to submit former Strikeforce and EliteXC champion [autotag]Jake Shields[/autotag].

With neither man able to secure a submission in either regulation or the first overtime, Martinez started from spider armbar in the second overtime, using a slick figure-four to peel off the defending right arm and extending the left rm while also securing the left leg to score a tap just eight seconds into the period.

In a featured match between two UFC stars, [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] was able to outlast a gritty [autotag]Al Iaquinta[/autotag] in a clash that started as a grudge match but ending in both men showing respect for each’s effort.

Iaquinta earned a takedown almost immediately, but Perry responded from his back, looking to secure the arm. Iaquinta slammed his way out of the hold, and the two scrambled back to the feet shortly after. Iaquinta was able to secure a powerful trip-slam to the canvas, but he was immediately forced on defense with Perry attacking his leg. Iaquinta patiently worked his way free, and the two finished the regulation period in a stalemate on the feet.

In the first overtime, Iaquinta started on the back, but he was unable to secure the upper body, and Perry escaped in just 16 seconds. Perry took his offensive period on the back, as well, and while Iaquinta briefly worked to his feet, “Platinum” stayed firm. Iaquinta showed heart in squeezing off a rear-naked choke that seemed destined to end the contest, and Perry had to settle for the satisfaction of a near-two-minute ride.

In the second period, Iaquinta again started on the back and tried to start the setup for a twister. However, after giving up control of the upper body, referee Hagen ruled Perry was out of trouble and awarded him an escape in just 17 seconds. Iaquinta kept himself in the match though, escaping from Perry’s seatbelt in just 23 seconds.

In the final overtime, Iaquinta elected to start from the spider armbar setup and nearly extended the limb, but a gutsy effort saw him get through in about 14 seconds.

Perry then started on the back in his final attacking period, but Iaquinta turned and slam free in his fastest escape of the contest, just 10 seconds into the final frame. However, the initial lengthy ride from Perry earned him the win via escape time.

Austin Vaderford picks up controversial submission

In the night’s first main card matchup, undefeated Bellator welterweight [autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] picked up a slightly controversial submission win over Canadian 10th Planet black belt [autotag]Micah Brakefield[/autotag].

Working in overtime, Vanderford was able to escape from his opponent’s seatbelt position in just six seconds. When it was his turn to attack, Vanderford nearly locked in a rear-naked choke, but his opponent refused to relent. When Brakefield was able to roll to his back, he thought he was awarded an escape. However, Vanderford was allowed to transition to an arm-triangle choke, and he earned a frustrated tap from his foe, who didn’t agree with the ruling.

Complete Submission Underground 11 results include:

MAIN CARD

    • Kyle Boehm and Vinny Magalhaes def. Craig Jones and Nicky Rodriguez via escape time – Full time
    • Richie Martinez def. Jake Shields via submission (armbar) – Overtime 2, 0:08
    • Mike Perry def. Al Iaquinta via escape time – Full time
    • Austin Vanderford def. Micah Brakefield via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Overtime 1, 1:15

PRELIMINARY CARD

    • Alex Larmey def. Andrew Marshall via escape time – Full time
    • Frank Rosenthal def. Brent Smith via submission (heel hook) – Regulation, 0:17
    • Samantha Bonilla def. Danielle Perry via submission (rear-naked choke) – Overtime 1, 0:59
    • Joe Baize def. Clay Davidson via submission (reverse heel hook) – Regulation, 1:11
    • Andrew Gundlach def. Logan Skinner via submission (cloth choke) – Regulation, 4:42
    • Andrew Sidelinger def. Scott Jutras via submission (armbar) – Overtime 1, 0:13

MMA Junkie Radio #3020: Does McGregor vs. Gaethje make sense at 170?, Cub Swanson (guest)

“Gorgeous” George and “Goze” discuss the latest MMA news and notes, including (surprise!) Conor McGregor, and Cub Swanson joins the show.

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Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,020 of the podcast, the fellas react to the latest MMA news and notes. Surprise, surprise! [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] comes up!

THE RUNDOWN

  • Coach John Kavanagh says, if it was up to him, McGregor would fight [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] next. But here’s the catch: The SBG Ireland head coach would like it to happen at welterweight, even though McGregor and Gaethje are regular lightweights. Does this make any sense?
  • [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] initially said he had no interest in fighting [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag], but as it turns out, the two of them will headline UFC London in March. Woodley’s manager, Abe Kawa, shed some light on what changed in an interview with MMA Junkie. What do we think of Woodley’s mindset here?
  • You’ll recall that [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] made headlines a couple of weeks back when he used the N-word during a Twitter spat with African-American actor Michael Jai White. In that same interview with MMA Junkie, Kawa, who manages Perry, offered some insight into Perry’s mind when it comes to using the slur. How do we feel about this?
  • Former UFC welterweight title challenger [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] signed with Bare Knuckle FC. Good move for him?
  • UFC veteran [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] joins the show for an interview to talk about his ongoing recovery from a torn ACL, how the UFC is taking care of him after the injury suffered during Quintet Ultra, when he’d like to return to the octagon, what he has left for his career, and more.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Manager doesn’t condone Mike Perry’s slang use of the N-word but understands where it comes from

“If we would take the time to actually listen to Mike, you would understand where he was coming from,” says Abe Kawa of First Round Management.

LAS VEGAS — The sports agency and management business is often a glamorous game, but it comes with its challenges.

Professional athletes have gotten themselves into hot water with their words and actions since, well, about as long as there has been professional athletics. That’s only been magnified in the social media age, particularly in an industry as rambunctious as the fight game.

And a manager’s role is to guide his/her client back on the right path.

Such an example came up recently when outspoken UFC welterweight [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] caught flak on social media because of his Twitter spat with African-American actor Michael Jai White.

In the course of the argument, Perry used a slang version of the N-word slur, which in many circles is considered acceptable for African-Americans among each other, but not for non-blacks us in any instance.

Perry has defended his use of the word, saying online DNA tests have shown him to be 2 percent black. But he got pushback for his comments, most notably from UFC strawweight Angela Hill, an African-American woman who noted she got along with Perry when they met before but said “this isn’t cool” in response to his use of the N-word.

This is where Perry’s management would come in to clean up the mess. As agent Abe Kawa of First Round Management explained to MMA Junkie during UFC 246 fight week, his fighters run their own social media accounts, and his job is to try to guide his clients in the right direction.

“One thing I can’t do, and I’ve been been blamed many times in the past for, I don’t run their social media,” Kawa said. “I can’t tell people what to do and not do; I can only give them advice. I can show them, ‘Hey, this is where you’re going to lose out on things.’ In this case, Mike, if we would take the time to actually listen to Mike, you would understand where he was coming from.”

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Kawa knows that Perry comes from a complicated, working-class upbringing, which included scrapes with the law. And while he doesn’t personally use the language Perry did, he understands how Perry’s life experiences have influenced his outlook.

“I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do,” Kawa said. “So I don’t want to put myself out there and say what he’s doing is the right thing to do. But for him and the way he grew up and the way his beginning was, it’s right. So, I get it. For the person who is not used to that and for the person who doesn’t get it, for me, I don’t go around doing that just the same way. I may have in the past and whatnot. But for him, for what he feels is right, it’s hard for me to change that in one shot.

“He would have to go to jail for that. It would have to be a law that says you’re doing something wrong. That’s the way he sees it. He feels that everybody else is being closed-minded, where he’s the one trying to educate everybody. And it just doesn’t come out that way. So I understand the hurt.”

Kawa also believes that while many spoke out against Perry’s choice of words, there are just as many out there who get where his fighter is coming from.

“I think the stigma of what he’s doing is probably way more blown up in the media than actually to the common folks,” Kawa said. “If you look at the comments, once one person says something, everyone kind of goes in there. But then you have the other side of it, where everyone is like, ‘Why are you guys messing with him? He came from where I came from. I get it, Mike.’ So he’s getting a 50-50 split of people saying to him don’t do it, and then the other 50 percent saying, ‘We understand you, it’s OK.’ So Mike is gonna be Mike; we all have to love Mike.”

To hear Kawa on Perry, watch the video above. And for our full interview, check out the video below.

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Al Iaquinta to face Mike Perry in grappling match at Submission Underground 11

Fan favorites Al Iaquinta and Mike Perry will compete in a grappling match on Feb. 23.

Fan favorites [autotag]Al Iaquinta[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] will compete in a grappling match next month.

The pair are set to take part in Submission Underground 11, Chael Sonnen’s grappling organization, which takes place Feb. 23 at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Ore. The event streams live on UFC Fight Pass.

Iaquinta has lost his past two MMA fights, a “Fight of the Night” effort against Donald Cerrone at UFC on ESPN+ 9 in May, and a unanimous decision loss to Dan Hooker at UFC 243 in October. Perry has also dropped his past two, at the hands of Vicente Luque at UFC on ESPN+ 14 in August, and Geoff Neal at UFC 245 in December.

The 10-match card is headlined by a tag-team affair between Nick Rodriguez and Craig Jones, who take on PFL heavyweight Vinny Magalhaes and Kyle Boehm, with $25,000 on the line for the winners. Rodriguez recently competed at Polaris 12, defeating former UFC champ Luke Rockhold via decision.

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In the co-main event, former Strikeforce titleholder Jake Shields will take on 10th Planet jiu-jitsu’s Richie Martinez. Also competing on the card is Bellator middleweight Austin Vanderford, and Perry’s wife, the “Platinum Princess,” Danielle Perry.

Tickets for the event are available at www.cascadetickets.com and can be found locally at Bridge City Fight Shop in Tualatin.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3016: Reaction to Mike Perry controversy, McGregor-Cerrone expectations

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” discuss the latest MMA news and notes, including Mike Perry’s use of the N-word.

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,016 of the podcast, the gentlemen discuss the latest news and notes, including some unexpected controversy.

THE RUNDOWN:

  • [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] finds himself at the center of controversy after calling actor Michael Jai White the N-word as part of their Twitter beef this week. Perry’s use of the racial slur (slang version) incited a reaction from fellow UFC fighter [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag], who denounced this. What’s even going on here? Why does Perry have to go there in the first place?
  • A UFC 246 pre-fight news conference is happening. On Wednesday, Jan. 15, [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] will come face to face. What impact will this have on the event and overall future for McGregor the rest of this year?
  • “The Korean Zombie” [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] simply will not stop pushing for a title shot against UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]. Could he actually get the fight?
  • MMA Junkie has handed out its awards for 2019, including Male Fighter of the Year ([autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]), Female Fighter of the Year ([autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]), Knockout of the Year ([autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]), Submission of the Year ([autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]), Fight of the Year ([autotag]Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]), and more. The fellas react to the winners and share their personal selections.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.