Jake Paul & Mike Perry Attempt to Determine Who is the Greatest Showman in Boxing

July 16, 2024

3 months

Mike Perry and Jake Paul both have taken the non-traditional route to making money in combat sports. Perry was unhappy with his pay in the UFC. Instead of sticking around and trying to negotiate for more, Perry set off to do his own thing.

Perry’s unhappiness with the UFC ended up being a good thing for the burgeoning Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. The BKFC has been smart with how they’ve used Perry, according to online boxing news. Instead of Perry pursuing championship belts, they’ve set him up in fights that have aimed to bring the organization and Perry money.

It’s been a successful formula, with Perry winning all five of his BKFC fights and improving both sides’ cash flow. Jake Paul getting into boxing was surprising when he first started. Paul’s first fight wasn’t a one that was viewed as a serious one.

Paul knocked out former NBA standout Nate Robinson and has gone through a long list of opponents, mostly consisting of former MMA fighters. Paul will have to step up his game to beat Perry this Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

Paul’s Greatest Challenge

Paul fighting Perry doesn’t seem like a good idea on its face. Paul was set up for a big-money exhibition with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. While that fight has been rescheduled for November, Paul decided to instead take on Perry, a former UFC fighter and a star in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

Paul’s boxing career has mostly seen him fight over-the-hill opponents. This won’t be the case for Perry. Perry, 32, has excelled in bare-knuckle boxing but has limited professional experience with traditional boxing.

While Perry was a solid UFC fighter, he never got close to a championship. Paul wrestled in high school but wasn’t known as a fighter when he established himself as a social media star. MMAfighting latest news shows this matchup could have implications down the line.

Paul has mentioned that he would like to have a rematch with Perry in the PFL in MMA instead of boxing. This fight will provide Perry with some challenges. He is 0-1 in traditional boxing, suffering a knockout in the fourth round back in 2015.

Paul is 9-1 in boxing and has fought at a consistent level of competition. During Paul’s last two fights, Paul knocked out two lightly-regarded fighters in the first round.

Jake Paul Has Something to Lose

While the Tyson fight has been rescheduled for November, Paul isn’t convinced that it will happen, much like Perry isn’t convinced he will actually get a shot at Paul in MMA. But one thing about Perry is that he is never afraid to back down from a challenge.

Paul will be in the toughest position of his career. He will have to try to square off with a fighter who has the ability to put a different kind of pressure on him. While this fight was hastily arranged due to Tyson’s illness, this may end up being a better fight.

Bets to consider: Perry by KO/TKO/DQ, Fight to not go the distance

Serrano Ready to Fight an Up and Comer

Amanda Serrano, 35, has been one of the best women’s fighters in professional boxing for years. After losing to Katie Taylor via split decision during a superfight for the lightweight titles, she quickly went back to defending her undisputed title as the female featherweight champion of the world.

Serrano has 49 professional fights under her belt and will now take on Stevie Morgan, who is still relatively new to professional boxing. Stevie Morgan is 8-1 as a professional. The Tampa-based boxer will have a huge step up in competition on her hands.

Serrano has shown tremendous knockout power during her career, but hasn’t recorded a win via knockout since she beat Daniela Romina Bermúdez in March 2021. Morgan has seven knockout victories over her career, but this will be a huge test for Morgan’s career.

Serrano was originally geared up to have a rematch with Katie Taylor. The fight was rescheduled for November after the delay to the Paul-Tyson fight. Don’t expect Morgan to put up much of a fight against Serrano.

Bets to consider: Serrano by KO/TKO/DQ, Fight to Not Go the Distance

Uriah Hall Looks for a More Legitimate Win

Uriah Hall possessed terrifying power when he fought in the UFC. Since he decided to try his hand at traditional boxing, Hall hasn’t been very active. During his lone boxing match, Hall fought former NFL standout Le’Veon Bell.

It was sort of an embarrassing performance for Hall, who won by a decision. Bell had never fought against a professional fighter before. Hall will now see a stark contrast in experience level between opponents.

His fight this weekend will come against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Chavez has 60 professional fights under his belt. Chavez has won 34 of his 53 fights by knockouts.

However, Chavez hasn’t been active. He last fought in December 2021 and will need to shake off some of the ring rust. However, Hall doesn’t have the experience that Chavez does. Hall also sometimes had issues in the UFC with his cardio.

While Hall doesn’t have to worry about grappling in this contest, which can be the most draining part of MMA, he can just worry about striking. However, despite the layoff, Chavez should be able to lean on his experience to get a win here.

Bets to consider: Chavez by TKO/TKO/DQ, Fight to not go the distance

Here’s a look at the other fights on the card not mentioned above: