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A UFC welterweight contender’s ex-wife alleged to MMA Junkie that she was abused by her ex-husband, Mike Perry, with the worst of the alleged domestic abuse happening earlier this year when she was “ground-and-pounded” to the point that she believed she might die.
Danielle Nickerson, the ex-wife of UFC welterweight Mike Perry, revealed the stunning information to MMA Junkie in a story that published on Tuesday morning.
According to that same report, Nickerson also provided “911 audio, another police recording and court records” to support Nickerson’s accounts of the various incidents.
“It was like a movie,” Nickerson said per MMA Junkie. “You’re like, this isn’t my life. What is happening right now? I (thought) if I don’t leave and run out of this house, I will die.”
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Perry Denies Accusations
Perry, 28, preemptively denied Nickerson’s allegations of abuse via Twitter while also saying he’s recently sought help for alcohol and anger management issues.
“I did not put hands on my ex at any point in our short term marriage,” Perry said. “… I have realized that I have said some things in the past that do not put me and what I stand for in the best of light and for that I apologize. I am now in a loving relationship where I am looking forward and excited to welcoming my first born. I’m hopeful my ex can move on and find peace as I have.”
Perry is currently scheduled to face Robbie Lawler on November 21 at UFC 256.
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Nickerson Reveals ‘Craziest, Worst Night’
While Nickerson alleges to being abused several times during her marriage to Perry, she revealed the worst alleged abuse happened on Feb. 10 and that it was the “craziest, worst night” of her life.
“He ran straight at me like a football player to tackle me, sprinted across the house,” Nickerson said per MMA Junkie. “Where we were standing was on tile, and I really did not want to get tackled on tile. So I ran to the carpet in the living room.”
Perry eventually caught up to her, and Nickerson said all she could do was cover herself as best she could while lying in the fetal position.
“He had his knee on my belly and just ground-and-pounded me until he got tired,” Nickerson said per MMA Junkie. “I did a decent job of covering my face. I still had hematomas on the back of my head. My entire right side from my entire arm, my legs, my ribs, everything was covered in bruises the next few days. He just got all of his anger out on me, and on the last punch I clearly – I think that’s why he stopped, is we heard my rib crack. He knew and sat back, and I think he was just tired – tired of hitting me so much.”
Perry and Nickerson finalized their divorce in July, though Nickerson revealed the two have been free from each other for around eight months now.
Perry has since entered into a relationship with Latory Gonzalez, who cornered him in his last fight and announced recently that she was pregnant with his child.
‘I Didn’t Want Him To Kill Himself’
Among the many other startling revelations that Nickerson revealed in her interview with MMA Junkie was the mindset of an alleged abuse victim, particularly the reasons why she didn’t report the alleged abuse sooner.
“First and foremost, he was my husband. We were married, and I never ever wanted to do anything to hurt him,” Nickerson said per MMA Junkie. “His mom did call the cops that night, and I was like, ‘I’m not talking to them. I’m not telling them anything.’ Because this person is already spiraling. Ruining his life isn’t going to do anything. I don’t want him to kill himself. After the fight with Geoff Neal, he had said that in the back, talked about killing himself. And I was (thinking) I cannot contribute to that. That can’t be on my conscience. I’m not reporting him.”
Moreover, Nickerson said she didn’t want Perry to lose his UFC contract.
“I tried to put as much as I could (in the protective order filing) that wasn’t too much for him to get arrested and all that, because he already has a crazy record, and I didn’t want him to get fired from the UFC,” Nickerson said per MMA Junie. “That would literally kill him.”
Unfortunately, all that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For more of the startling details, be sure to read Simon Samano’s full story at MMA Junkie.
That same media organization also published one of the recorded 911 calls.
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