Long-time UFC welterweight fighter Mike Perry, who has been competing in other promotions for the past five years, is returning to the UFC.
Perry has not fought in the Octagon since a decision loss to Marvin Vettori in April 2021. Now, over five years later, he is set to return to the UFC.
Mike Perry Re-Signs With UFC
After reports emerged that Perry had been added back into the UFC’s drug-testing pool, his manager, Malki Kawa of First Round Management, confirmed to Nolan King that Perry has indeed re-signed with the UFC.
“Mike Perry is once again a UFC fighter. He’s signed with the promotion, per his manager Malki Kawa. Rumblings of the UFC heading to his home city of Orlando in Q1. Seems like a layup first booking if it does.”
Rumblings of the UFC heading to his home city of Orlando in Q1. Seems like a layup first booking if it does
As King noted, the UFC is rumored to be heading back to Orlando, Florida, for a numbered event in the first quarter of 2027, so it makes a lot of sense for Perry to fight on that card.
Who Will Mike Perry Fight in UFC Return?
As soon as the Perry-to-UFC news emerged, there were already reports making the rounds that he is being targeted to fight fellow Florida MMA star Jorge Masvidal in what would be a very fun fight between two veteran fighters who prefer to stand and trade.
Nothing is official yet, but this is a fight that makes a ton of sense, so look for the UFC to try to get this matchup done.
One of the interesting things about Perry’s return to the UFC is that he actually lost his last fight when he lost via first-round TKO to Brandon Jenkins at the Dual Arena card in August. But it was an injury TKO, and the UFC obviously saw past that loss due to the circumstances surrounding it, and instead gave far more weight to Perry’s TKO win over Nate Diaz at the MVP MMA card before that.
We’ll see if this Perry vs. Masvidal fight happens as rumored, but either way, it’s very exciting to see Perry back on the UFC roster going forward.
Mike Perry Returns to the UFC