Mike Perry, the popular BKFC fighter, has been actively promoting his upcoming Dirty Boxing 2 event. Amidst his promotional duties, he managed to fit in a training session with former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
Before the second installment of the Dirty Boxing series, Perry traveled to Las Vegas and trained at Xtreme Couture, where he had a challenging sparring round with Strickland.
Perry explained that sparring with Strickland was something they had discussed previously, and he made the effort to travel to Vegas specifically to make it happen. He initiated contact, describing Strickland as “such a great guy.” Strickland even invited Perry for activities like dirt biking and shooting in the desert, but Perry`s schedule only allowed time for sparring.
Dirty Boxing 2 will feature former UFC heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik`s debut against Devon Schwan. Perry himself helped create Dirty Boxing, a format designed to reflect his high-pressure fighting style, which he evidently brought to his five-minute round with Strickland.
Describing the session, Perry noted the significant size difference, stating Strickland was at least 35 pounds heavier. He found it valuable to experience Strickland`s style and feel his punches, using his signature “Platinum pressure” to try and close the distance and engage.
Perry observed that Strickland was primarily defensive. He also commented on his own style of absorbing punches, which he believes can effectively tire an opponent. He admitted that his conditioning wasn`t specifically tailored for the intense five-minute round, especially considering the Las Vegas elevation, as he had simply shown up and sparred.
Regarding his own fighting future, Perry mentioned that things are in the works, but nothing can be officially announced yet. He expressed frustration about his recent inactivity, having not competed in BKFC for nearly 14 months and approaching a year since his boxing match loss to Jake Paul.
Accustomed to negative comments from fans, Perry said he received some after footage of his spar with Strickland surfaced. His direct response to these critics was to challenge them to spar Strickland themselves and see how they would fare.
Perry suggested that Strickland would likely spar others, primarily because few people would volunteer to face him for five minutes. He asserted that many of the punches he absorbed or deflected during the session would have knocked out most of the people making negative comments online. He stated he enjoyed the experience, sparred for entertainment, and appreciated Strickland`s skills.
Reflecting on the session, Perry wondered how a longer spar might play out, implying his style of taking hits could exhaust an opponent into seeking an exit. He confidently stated that both he and Strickland possess the capability to finish fights.
He concluded his thoughts by telling critics to “don`t be hating” and emphasizing his focus on “elevating” and “lifting people up.”
