Paul was all set to face former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on July 20, but 57-year-old Tyson was pulled from the fight on medical grounds.
That matchup has been pushed back to November 15, but Paul has decided not to sit and wait for that date for his next outing. Instead, Paul and his promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, have quickly changed tack and booked another attention-grabbing opponent for that July 20 fight date.
As a result, Paul will now face former UFC welterweight and the current star of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, “Platinum” Mike Perry, in a cruiserweight bout, with the matchup set to take place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
1 Mike, 2 Mikes, 3 Mikes, 4
The fact is every opponent has touched the floor
5 months until Tyson and I go to war
So in the meantime me & Perry are going to make Tampa roar
I fear no man, anytime, anywhere, anyplace
On July 20th it’s going to be another W, so let us say… pic.twitter.com/SIu6K0VbD5
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 18, 2024
“When Paul vs. Tyson was rescheduled, I knew immediately that I wanted to still fight on Saturday, July 20,” said Paul, via a press release.
“Now, as I prepare for my fight against ‘Iron Mike,’ there’s no better opponent for me than Mike Perry. He’s a proven knockout artist who has shown to be a maniac in and out of the ring.
“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.
“I’m going to get the W and give everyone a preview of what I’m bringing to the ring against Mike Tyson. Tune in on DAZN PPV as I return to Tampa and send ‘Platinum’ Perry the Platypus back to bare knuckle for good.”
Perry has experienced a career renaissance since departing the UFC, and has since become the face of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, with his willingness to throw hands with anyone, any time, anywhere making him a huge hit with the sport’s growing fanbase.
Now he’s signed on the dotted line to face Paul, and he’s ready to halt the momentum of “El Gallo” in Tampa on July 20.
“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,” said Perry.
“I’m going to make it look easy on Saturday July 20, and I’m going to teach Jake Paul the most he’s ever learned about fighting.”
Also set for the event is unified women’s featherweight champion Amanda Serrano, who will take on Florida’s own Stevie “Sledgehammer” Morgan as she follows Paul’s lead by taking a stop-gap fight before she faces Katie Taylor on November 15 on the Paul-Tyson undercard.
