Mike Perry insists he’s ready to teach Jake Paul a lesson about fighting when the pair clash TONIGHT… as the former UFC fighter reveals he felt destined to replace Mike Tyson against the viral star

Mike Perry has named the elusive thing he believes will give him the edge when he takes on Jake Paul tonight.

Paul was initially set to face former Mike Tyson, but the former undisputed heavyweight champion withdrew after suffering a health issue on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles.

The controversial clash has since been rescheduled for November 15, but Paul has chosen to remain active in the meantime and has selected former UFC star Perry as his opponent.

Saturday’s headliner will be Perry’s first professional boxing match in nearly a decade, but the 32-year-old is still active in the ring and has built an undefeated record as one of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s biggest stars.

Perry told Mail Sport exclusively that his fighting spirit sets him apart from the other MMA fighters Paul has fought.

The former UFC star has become Mike Tyson’s replacement after he was forced to withdraw

Perry insisted he felt it was his destiny that he was called to replace Tyson on Saturday

“I think I fight a lot harder than any of those guys,” he said.

“I know what to expect when I’m in a fight. You know, I’m willing to take a punch to get a better punch.

‘Tyron Woodley, he was a UFC champion, Anderson Silva was maybe a little past his boxing best when he fought Jake, but he was still able to withstand it.

‘[Silva] played around a little bit. I’m not here to fool around. Jake doesn’t fool around when he’s there. He doesn’t play games when he fights.

“Fear is something to have in reserve in a fight because it keeps you sharp and motivated to make all the moves you need to make. And I’m ready to teach him more about fighting.”

Since embarking on a career in boxing, Paul has quickly become one of the sport’s most polarizing figures, with opponents claiming he handpicks opponents from the MMA world whose styles best match.

A highly anticipated match with Tommy Fury was his first confrontation with a professional boxer. The two faced off in Saudi Arabia in February of last year.

The social media star has lost just one of his first ten fights as a professional boxer

In March, Paul scored a first-round knockout victory over Ryan Bourland in Puerto Rico

Perry insisted that his aggressive style would outperform Paul’s previous MMA opponents

Paul exceeded many’s expectations against the younger brother of former heavyweight king Tyson, but he still found himself on the wrong end of a split decision.

The former Disney Channel star bounced back by defeating Nate Diaz in August, then followed that up with two straight victories over relatively unknown opponents to take his professional record to 9-1.

Despite the outrage and concerns about Tyson’s health, the planned showdown with Iron Mike was likely the biggest showdown of his career to date.

However, Perry continued to insist that he felt he would always take the opportunity to ruin the party.

“I expected this,” Perry continued.

‘Because Jake was making videos for Mike Tyson to promote the fight. He’d say ‘Mike’ or ‘Mikey Mike’ and I’m like, ‘Man, he’s talking to me, bro.’

“It’s just nonsense that he’s fighting 58-year-old Mike Tyson, while there are a lot of reactions saying he should fight me.

“I just finished my last fight and then went back to the gym to slowly prepare myself for a quick turnaround.”

Perry instantly became a fan favorite during his time in the UFC for his aggressive style

The 32-year-old has become one of the biggest stars in bare-knuckle boxing

Though he left the UFC in 2021 after winning just one of his last five fights for the promotion, Perry had established himself as a fan favorite due to his versatile fighting style and unique personality.

The 32-year-old’s growing star status has only increased in recent years thanks to his exploits in bare-knuckle boxing. Despite making some vitriolic comments to Paul during a press conference earlier this week, he admitted on Saturday that he bears no ill will towards his opponent.

“Yeah, man, I like Jake,” he admitted. “I’m grateful for the opportunity. This is my chance and I could be the one to beat this kid.

“No matter what people say, some will give me credit, some won’t, I know that. I think the MMA community will be over the moon when I get this job done.

“So, I come to fight, and that’s what I’m here to do. That’s my job.”