Mike Perry wants to fight Robbie Lawler at UFC 245
Robbie Lawler needs a new opponent for UFC 245, and Mike Perry is unsurprisingly willing to be the replacement for Santiago Ponzinibbio.
With welterweight contender Santiago Ponzinibbio out of UFC 245 due to a staph infection, Robbie Lawler is in need of a new opponent.
Enter Mike Perry?
While the UFC hasn’t made any decision yet on who will take on Lawler on the December 14th pay-per-view event, “Platinum” Perry has expressed interest in what would certainly be an action-packed battle with the former welterweight champion.
“If Robbie Lawler would grace me with his name on a contract, let’s go bro,” Perry said to MMAjunkie. “Let’s put on a show. We’re going to put on a show. None of that wrestling sh-t.
“I might mix it up on you. I might try to change levels, shoot a single leg, take you down, punch you a little bit. Punch you, get you disoriented. Or I might hold tight and box. Who am I? Who am I to be accepted from a guy like that?”
Perry (13-5) is coming off a split decision loss to Vicente Luque at UFC Uruguay in August. What was most notable from that three-round thriller was Perry’s grotesque broken nose that he suffered in the final round. Perry, who is already back in training, provided an update on his busted schnozz.
“It’s a little loud when I use it, but I don’t really use it too often,” Perry said. “I just hold my breath and swing real hard, and they usually disperse. They either get out the way or they run real fast. So we’ll see. I’m good though. I’m ready to fight.
“I’ve been training, been sparring, working, ready to fight anybody, anytime. I’ll fight right now tonight; let’s go.”
Lawler (28-14-1 NC) is on a three-fight losing streak, most recently dropping a one-sided decision to Colby Covington in the UFC Newark main event back in August. This is the longest losing skid Lawler has ever had in his career, but if he does face Perry, it would figure to be a much different stylistic matchup compared to Covington, Ben Askren, and Rafael dos Anjos.
In other words, a stand-up war.
“Robbie, let’s f—king go, bro. Let’s show these people how to fight. You’ve been slacking, and I’m unlucky in that I get the best versions of the best dudes.”
UFC 245 features three title fights atop the bill, with a welterweight title grudge match between champion Kamaru Usman and former interim champ Colby Covington slated as the main event. In the co-main event, men’s featherweight champion Max Holloway puts his belt on the line against Alex Volkanovski, while two-division champ Amanda Nunes defends her bantamweight belt vs. Germaine de Randamie.