It wasnt the fight he initially planned for, but Jake Paul delivered again on Saturday night.
The former YouTuber and Disney Channel star absolutely dominated BKFC star Mike Perry in their bout at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Paul, after coming up with a pair of knockdowns right off the bat, picked up a sixth-round TKO win after he sent Perry stumbling into the corner with a huge jab and a left hook.
IT’S ALL OVER!! #PaulPerry pic.twitter.com/O7hARTbg1J
DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) July 21, 2024
“He’s tough as nails,” Paul said in the ring after his win. “I’m sorry it took so long … I just hit too hard, but he took a lot of damage. That’s a W baby, I’m so excited.”
Paul nearly delivered on his promise of an early knockout to get the night started. He delivered a huge blow to Perrys head not even a minute into the match that sent Perry flying to the ground. Though he bounced right back up, that set the tone and gave Paul the early advantage.
DOWN GOES PERRY #PaulPerry | July 20 | Live on DAZN: Click link in bio to buy pic.twitter.com/lFtI6D7dKJ
DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) July 21, 2024
Paul landed a second knockdown right away in the second round, too, after finding a clear lane to Perrys head. That left Perry dazed even as he stood back up, and a cut over Perrys eye started bleeding later in the round. Perry struggled to protect his face, and he even threw Paul down to the mat out of frustration just before the second round ended.
Paul looked like he was going to win it in the fourth, after he backed Perry into the corner multiple times without much pushback. Perry managed to survive the round, but he was spent. He was stumbling repeatedly, struggled to guard his face and couldnt do much of anything. So when Paul delivered a flurry of punches in the sixth round, it was over.
The days leading up to Saturdays fight were, well, pretty ridiculous. Perry attacked a mascot in a deodorant costume, Paul showed up to a news conference wearing a graduation cap making fun of Perry for attending private school and more. Paul came out into the ring dressed as some sort of gladiator while riding in a chariot carried by other gladiators, too, with his older brother and others in his entourage.
️ @jakepaul is ready to conquer #PaulPerry | July 20 | Live on DAZN: Click link in bio to buy pic.twitter.com/QWkBDf3Eqd
DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) July 21, 2024
But, as far as opponents go, Perry was one of the best that Paul has faced at least on paper. Perry was an MMA fighter before he took off in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He held a 14-8 record in MMA, where he last fought in 2021, and hes a perfect 5-0 in the BKFC. At 32, he’s still very much in his prime athletic-wise, and hes closer to a legitimate boxer than others Paul has faced in the past.
The loss seemed to upset Conor McGregor, who owns part of the BKFC. McGregor claimed to fire Perry from the league on social media, though it’s unknown if he has any power to actually do so.
Hey Mike youre released and you can go and compete in your smelly dirty boxing championship thing, the smell of it, good luck. Youre fired. @bareknucklefc
Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 21, 2024
Paul entered the night with a 9-1 record with six KOs, though most of his wins came against relative non-boxers and other YouTubers. He won his first six fights before Tommy Fury beat him in February 2023, though he responded with a win over former UFC star Nate Diaz a few months later. Hes won three times since his loss to Fury, including back-to-back KO wins.
Paul was originally supposed to fight boxing legend Mike Tyson on Saturday instead, though that was postponed until November after Tyson sustained a health issue on a flight earlier this year. Tyson is 58 years old and hasnt fought professionally in years, though that scheduled bout at AT&T Stadium is apparently a very real thing.
Paul will now recover and turn his attention to the bout with Tyson, something he promoted immediately in the ring and insisted it was going to happen after the win on Saturday night. What comes next for Paul after that fight, regardless of whether it ends up taking place or not, remains to be seen.