BKFC founder and president David Feldman says he wishes Mike Perry the best after the former BKFC star said he is done with bare-knuckle and ready to return to MMA full time. Feldman said he was told Perry received an offer to return to MMA that he couldn't refuse, and that the money it would cost to bring Perry back to BKFC doesn't make sense for the promotion right now. Feldman pointed to homegrown talent selling 14,000 tickets at Fenway Park and said BKFC expects to sell 18,000 in Philadelphia and also plans a big show in Miami for KnuckleMania VII without huge names.
BKFC founder and president David Feldman has responded to Mike Perry's declaration that he is finished with bare-knuckle fighting, saying the price of luring the former star back would not make financial sense for the promotion right now. Feldman's comments were first reported by MMA Fighting.
Feldman said he wishes Perry the best after the fighter indicated he is ready to return to MMA full time. According to Feldman, he was told Perry received an offer to go back to MMA that he could not turn down. Feldman added that the money required to bring Perry back to BKFC doesn't fit what the company is doing at the moment.
Perry, 35, is a 14-8-0 fighter from the United States who competes out of an orthodox stance and lists no team affiliation. He stands five-foot-ten, 178 cm, with a 71-inch reach. His career numbers show 4.32 significant strikes landed per minute at 47 percent accuracy, along with 0.81 takedowns per 15 minutes.
His most recent recorded MMA fight was a unanimous decision loss to Daniel Rodriguez on April 10, 2021. That followed another unanimous decision defeat to Tim Means in November 2020, which came after a unanimous decision win over Mickey Gall that June. Those records show two straight losses going into his bare-knuckle run, and a return to MMA would be a return to a sport where he has not appeared in our records since 2021.
Feldman used the moment to point to the strength of BKFC's own roster. He said homegrown talent sold 14,000 tickets at Fenway Park, and that the promotion expects to sell 18,000 in Philadelphia. BKFC also plans a big show in Miami for KnuckleMania VII, and Feldman indicated it will not rely on huge names to do it.
Why it matters
- BKFC is publicly signaling it will not pay a premium to retain star names, betting instead on developed talent.
- The reported ticket figures point to growth: 14,000 at Fenway Park versus an expected 18,000 in Philadelphia, a gap of 4,000.
- Perry's exit leaves one of bare-knuckle's most recognizable personalities headed back toward MMA.
