In a surprising turn of events, Conor McGregor has announced the termination of Mike Perry‘s contract with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) following Perry’s recent knockout loss to YouTuber Jake Paul. This decision came after Perry suffered a defeat during their boxing match held on July 21 in Tampa, Florida.
Perry, who had signed with BKFC after parting ways with the UFC in October 2021, was seen as a representative face of the organization. He boasted an impressive record, winning all five of his BKFC bouts, with his most recent fight against former BKFC middleweight champion Thiago Alves in April 2024. However, his loss to Paul changed everything.
In a fiery post on social media platform X, McGregor, a co-owner of BKFC, stated, “Hey Mike, you’ve been cut from the contract and can go fight in your filthy boxing league. Good luck. You’re fired.” McGregor also criticized Paul for selecting opponents outside of his weight class. While Paul fought at cruiserweight (approximately 90.7 kg), Perry competed at middleweight (77-84 kg) and light heavyweight (84-93 kg) in BKFC. Additionally, Paul had a significant height advantage, standing over 7.6 cm taller than Perry.
Paul’s physical dominance was evident throughout the fight, as he knocked Perry down three times, ultimately winning by technical knockout in the sixth round. According to CompuBox statistics, Paul landed 226 punches, with 96 finding their mark for a 43% accuracy rate. In contrast, Perry managed only 122 punches, with just 33 landing, resulting in a 27% accuracy. Notably, Paul’s 142 jabs connected 52 times (37% accuracy), while Perry’s jabs only connected 11 times out of 49 (22% accuracy). Paul also landed double the number of significant strikes compared to Perry.
Following the fight, Paul wasted no time responding to McGregor, stating, “McGregor is always on X, always on a yacht. But guess what? He’s not in the ring to fight me. So let him say whatever he wants.”
Despite the setback, Perry remains the reigning middleweight champion at BKFC. Paul even extended a job offer to Perry at his sports betting company, Betr, should Perry choose to step away from bare-knuckle boxing.
McGregor has not fought since injuring his ankle and losing to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. With a record of 22 wins and 6 losses, he previously held the UFC titles in both the featherweight and lightweight divisions. McGregor is renowned for drawing in pay-per-view audiences, featuring in five of the highest-grossing events in UFC history. Forbes recognized him as the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2021, earning $180 million. He also ranked on the list in 2018 with $99 million, coming in fourth place.
While McGregor’s career is deeply intertwined with MMA, it was his 2017 boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. that elevated him to superstar status in sports, despite losing the fight and earning $100 million in the process. As McGregor looks toward the future, fans eagerly anticipate what comes next for this polarizing figure in combat sports.
