'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mike Perry is a former UFC fighter who is keen on returning to the promotion. Unfortunately, according to him, the UFC is not nearly as interested in regaining his services as a fighter. 'Platinum' took part in a recent interview on The MMA Hour, where he expressed his frustration with the UFC to Ariel Helwani.
Despite having recently elevated his public profile with his success in combat sports outside the UFC, Perry has claimed that the UFC does not see enough value in him to re-sign him. This has drawn 'Platinum's' ire, who feels that the promotion's interests in fighters have changed.
He specifically detailed conversations with Hunter Campbell, the UFC's Chief Business Officer, who he claimed had reservations about Perry's ability to compete against top five welterweights as a justification against re-signing him.
"He tried to call me out and be like, 'I don't think you can beat one of the top five guys in our division right now.' I'm like, 'Sign me for one of the fights and you gotta f***ing pay me like I'm fighting a top five guy and bring me in and watch what happens. He didn't want to do that. He didn't want. They were just looking at other places. They want these bodybuilders that come in for 10 and 10."
Watch Mike Perry detail his back-and-forth with the UFC below(13:47):
Fortunately for Perry, he has entrenched himself in BKFC, where he is the promotion's most visible star, even managing to coax Conor McGregor into an in-ring face-off. He is currently scheduled to face fellow UFC alumnus and ex-BKFC middleweight champion Thiago Alves at BKFC: Knucklemania IV on April 24.
Revisiting Mike Perry's UFC run
While Mike Perry has found significant success in BKFC, embarking on an undefeated run that has seen him defeat two former UFC champions in Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold, 'Platinum's' tenure in the UFC itself did not yield the same kind of success he had hoped for.
After an initial, promising, two-fight win streak, Perry was handed his first-ever loss by Alan Jouban. While 'Platinum' rebounded with another two-fight win streak, it was quickly snapped by Santiago Ponzinibbio. Thereafter, he would never helm another win streak in MMA, going on a win-loss run until his contract expired.
