Getty Tommy Fury & Jake Paul
Jake Paul and Tommy Fury are scheduled to box on February 25, and should the latter not make it to the ring in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, former UFC bruiser Mike Perry will step in.
For the third time, “The Problem Child” and Fury are set to compete. With “TNT” dropping out of their two initial bouts — the first time with an injury and the second with visa issues — Paul has put a safeguard in place.
“We have Mike Perry on standby,” Paul said to MMA Fighting and others at a recent presser. “Let’s go, Mike Perry. He’s ready to jump in in case Tommy pulls out.”
Perry transitioned from mixed martial arts to bare-knuckle boxing after departing the UFC in 2021 and he made his debut last year. He’s wracked up two decision wins under the BKFC banner, defeating Bellator star Michael “Venom” Page and “The Ultimate Fighter” alum Julian Lane. “Platinum” has 11 wins via KO/TKO as an MMA fighter and boasts a professional record of 14-8.
Paul Isn’t Sure if Fury Will End Up Boxing Him
Paul (6-0) and Fury (8-0) are set to put their undefeated records on the line in the Middle East. But, there’s a part of Paul that’s skeptical that TNT will make the walk.
“A part of me definitely still doubts [that Fury shows up],” Paul said. “It’s scary and it’s annoying and him not showing up to the face-to-face we were just supposed to do right now, it sucks and the kid’s not necessarily reliable, but the money’s good for him. So it would just be so dumb and I think he’s probably tired of [Fury’s partner and fellow reality TV star Molly-Mae Hague] making all the money in the relationship. He’s got a kid now so he needs to help pay for some diapers.”
Fury is the half-brother of heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson Fury, and he also appeared on the UK’s version of “Love Island” in 2019. He met his future partner, Hague, during his time on the show, and they welcomed in a baby daughter earlier this month.
Paul Doesn’t Think Fury Is a ‘Real Fighter’
Fury’s half-brother is arguably the best heavyweight boxer on the planet right now. And Paul doesn’t think TNT received those genes of being a “real fighter.”
“I think he’s a big talker, but I don’t think he believes the things that he’s saying,” Paul said. “He’s the Fury family puppet, right? Tyson and [Tommy’s father] John both were real fighters, real boxers, real dogs, and Tommy feels like he has to live up to that so he’s saying the things that they say, but I don’t think he believes it. I don’t think he believes in himself and he’s going to be in for a rude awakening and he’s going to hate this sport after I’m done with him.”
Fury holds wins over the likes of Daniel Bocianski, Anthony Taylor and Scott Williams. His last fight took place in April 2022 when he bested Bocianski by points.
Paul last competed in October when he defeated former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva via unanimous decision. He also holds two wins over former UFC 170-pound king Tyron Woodley — including a KO — and he took out ex-Bellator and ONE champ Ben Askren by first-round TKO.