Mike Perry Signs With UFC After Five-Year Absence

Mike Perry has re-signed with the UFC after a five-year absence, his manager confirmed Friday.

Perry's longtime representative Malki Kawa told Ariel Helwani that the former welterweight contender has rejoined the promotion and re-entered the UFC's anti-doping testing pool, per BJ Penn.com. The move comes after Perry turned down multiple offers to return to mixed martial arts, including from Most Valuable Promotions, which had been expected to lock him into a long-term deal following his stoppage of Nate Diaz earlier this year.

Perry's Path Back After Bare-Knuckle Detour

Perry last fought in the UFC in April 2021, dropping a unanimous decision to Daniel Rodriguez in a loss that capped a rough 1-4 stretch to close his original tenure. After parting with the promotion, he became the face of Bare Knuckle FC, beating former UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez without gloves. His mixed martial arts comeback came on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card, where he stopped Diaz by TKO.

During his first UFC run, Perry posted wins over Paul Felder, Jake Ellenberger, and Mickey Gall. He debuted at UFC 202 in 2016 with a decision over Lim Hyun-gyu on the Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 2 card, then knocked out Danny Roberts before suffering his first career loss to Alan Jouban that December.

No opponent or date has been announced for Perry's return fight.

Photo by dxiane on Unsplash

Original reporting:

• bjpenn.com — Manager: Mike Perry set for UFC reunion after five-year absence | BJPenn.com