Mike Perry wants ‘original bare-knuckle street fighter’ Jorge Masvidal next, responds to Dillon Danis

Mike Perry has options when it comes to his next fight. But ideally, he has a perfect opponent already in mind.

After stopping ex-UFC champion Eddie Alvarez in two rounds at BKFC 56 on Saturday, Perry, the newly crowned “King of Violence,” offered Anthony Pettis as a potential opponent.

Two days later, Perry has another idea for what could be the biggest bare-knuckle fight of all time.

“I have the utmost respect for Jorge Masvidal,” Perry said on The MMA Hour. “That’s kind of why that callout, that name has never happened. I did see him at his promotion at a fight, and we talked about it. I was little bit drunk, and I was like, ‘The people would really love to see us, and all love, and we’d make a bag for the family and it’s all just for the sport.’

“Obviously, he’s done, and he’s already done these great things. I grew up watching him and Kimbo [Slice] on YouTube. I grew up and seen him. Who’s the only other person who’s not in BKFC, but has experience in bare-knuckle boxing that would be a megafight.”

Long before he competed for UFC titles, Masvidal gained notoriety for fighting in backyard brawls alongside famed street fighter Kimbo Slice.

These days, Masvidal runs his Gamebred promotion, putting on bare-knuckle MMA fights. But after retiring in April, he’s also hinted at a possible return to action.

While Perry acknowledged that Masvidal has shown concerns for hand injuries following a long career in MMA, he believes the attraction for a bare-knuckle fight between them is undeniable.

Add in a hefty payday for both fighters and Perry believes it’s possible Masvidal might get interested.

“We know Masvidal has some of the most killer moves out there,” Perry said. “That’s why I said that. I think what he said about his hands was a way of saying, you make that check big enough, I’ll strengthen my knuckles and go back to my roots. These are his roots. He is in history as the original bare-knuckle street fighter guy.

“He’s a killer. We’ve seen him literally kill people in MMA, and it’s not wrestling. I’m not going to try to strategize a way through. It’s all out of respect. I like Masvidal. I would like to say that we’re friends. I’m just trying to think of the biggest fight, and it’s that one, because we’re both dangerous.”

As much as Masvidal remains the dream fight for Perry, he understands there are also other options available when he returns to action in 2024. Whether that’s Pettis or fellow UFC veteran Darren Till, he seems open to all possibilities, including a callout he received from the always polarizing Dillon Danis this past Saturday night.

“Let’s do it bare-knuckle for the belt f*** it,” Danis wrote on Twitter after facing off with Perry as the backup for his recent fight with Logan Paul.

Perry doesn’t know if Danis is serious or not, but he knows the ex-Bellator fighter and Conor McGregor disciple brings a lot of attention wherever he goes, which could translate into pay-per-view buys for a fight.

“I appreciate the attention that he can bring to it,” Perry said about Danis. “I like the ‘King of Violence’ title and belt, that name and he brought some attention to it. I don’t know [if he’s serious] once an offer hits his table. David Feldman’s no joke. What did he say to Conor [McGregor] — I’ll give you any amount of money you want. Probably same thing goes for a Masvidal, and maybe a little bit for a Dillon Danis.”

When it comes to that fight, Perry doesn’t know what Danis would bring to the ring, especially after Danis failed to do much of anything in a recent boxing match with Logan Paul.

But if Danis really wants the fight, Perry is open to do business.

“Logan outboxed him pretty good,” Perry said. “Obviously, Dillon was tough because he got hit and he never stopped putting pressure and trying to come after him but he had the gloves on. Maybe it would have been a little different in bare-knuckle. Would Logan have been able to take the shots? I don’t know.

“If he is interested, and he would start talking that vulgar stuff to me and get billions of views on social media for people to talk about our fight, and the whole world would want to watch, I’m down for that.”