Getty Mike Perry
Mike Perry, a former UFC fighter who is now the face of bare-knuckle boxing, showed off the fist he used to knock the front tooth out of former multiple-promotion MMA champion Luke Rockhold last weekend at BKFC 41.
“Platinum” and Rockhold during the event’s headlining act in Broomfield, Colorado, on April 29. And the referee called off the fight during the second round after Rockhold signaled that he wanted out of the match. It was later revealed that Perry had damaged Rockhold’s teeth, leading to the stoppage.
When speaking with TMZ, Perry showed that his knuckle had sustained a large cut which he needed stitches to close. Take a look at Perry’s fist via the embedded YouTube video below:
“I knew I landed a really good shot,” Perry said. “I don’t even think I slowed down and was like, ‘Oh, he took that really well. He took that shot.’ All I remember thinking was that I can’t wait to land whatever shot that was. Because look, his teeth went into my knuckles. And I’ve got a few stitches there.
“And I just remember feeling my hand when I hit him in the mouth, and that tooth went in. It didn’t slow me down, and I just remember feeling like, ‘I can’t wait to land that again.’ Whatever that was, I want to him with it again right now.’
“He tried hard not to let me. But, the gap was closing on him. It was closing and closing, he was running away.”
Perry Said Rockhold ‘Had No Choice’ But to ‘Quit’
Rockhold entered his bare-knuckle boxing debut with zero intention to quit. But, Platinum said he left the American with “no choice” but to do so.
“He was trying to find somewhere to go,” Perry continued. “And there was no escape, and that was the only way out is that he had to say, ‘Look, I can’t even bite down on my mouthpiece. The pain is too significant, it’s too severe in my mouth. I have to stop here.’
“And he kept saying how he wasn’t a quitter, he wasn’t going to quit. And, he had no choice.”
Platinum Said He Thought He Was in For a Longer War With Rockhold
Perry admitted to TMZ that he thought his fight with Rockhold would be longer and more difficult. Along with his preparation, Perry said Rockhold’s mistakes inside the ring led to the early stoppage.
“Man, I respected him before the fight,” Perry said of Rockhold. “I thought I was in for a much tougher challenge. I expect to have a tougher challenge in my future. I feel like as great as I did, was that all the hard work that I put in — it wasn’t just his mistakes. It was everything that I did to get there and do what I have been training to do, which was bust the teeth outta his mouth.
“I do respect him, but I feel like there were mistakes made for a guy of his caliber, for having two world titles and for having the knowledge in the sport that he has. I feel like there were small mistakes that were made, that possibly made a big difference. Really, he just didn’t know what he was getting in there with, didn’t know what he was getting into with me. And like, how do you not know what you’re getting into with me?”
In a post on Instagram after BKFC 41, Rockhold said he wasn’t “done” fighting, but that “some gloves would be nice,” alluding to his venture in bare-knuckle boxing was over.
