Mike Perry likes Darren Till matchup, considering taking break

MMAfighting.com

Back in the win column, Mike Perry has a couple of ideas as to what could lay ahead for him.

One option would see him lock horns with Darren Till, a top welterweight contender that has been brought up as a potential opponent for Perry in the past; another option would be for Perry to take a break, one that is much deserved after his Fight of the Night-winning bout with Alex Oliveira at UFC Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.

Perry came out on the right end of a unanimous decision, though it was a fight that left both he and “Cowboy” battered and bruised. Afterwards, Perry used his post-fight interview time to mention that he would still like to fight Till and he elaborated on that sentiment while also giving an update on his health at the presser later in the evening.

“I think the Darren Till fight’s a good fight,” Perry said. “He’s called me out in the Octagon, I just called him out in the Octagon, I think that’s good press for the UFC to put together. The fight makes sense. I used to not want to call people out who were coming off a loss, but you know what, you up in the top and you got that number next to your name? I’m gonna need that spot, so I’m gonna need that fight if it’s available.

“If not, the UFC will call with some ideas, I’m sure they got names and you know, it was—once I laid down, I was watching Jacare fight and I had some ice on my feet and legs and I took one off of my right leg and I put it on my cheek and my head, I went to get up and I couldn’t really move. I was just kind of standing still, like I can’t walk at all. But now the blood is flowing and I could walk, I just did like a little half-a-jog in the hallway out there.”

Till, a recent welterweight title challenger, is coming off of back-to-back losses, most recently suffering a brutal knockout at the hands of Jorge Masvidal this past March. It’s unknown how long Till will be out of action, so depending on when he’s ready to compete again, it could leave Perry hanging.

That’s a scenario Perry is fine with, given his own need to rest and recuperate.

“I do got enough money to chill for a little bit and like I said in the Octagon, these guys are fighting, like, once a year, so let me chill,” Perry said. “I did just come off some knee surgery a little bit ago, looks like it healed pretty good, looks like I did everything right and I’m a just chill, get back to the gym, work with my boys, we got some other fighters there that are are definitely going to be having some big fights coming up.

“We got more UFC guys, we just got to get back to it, back to work, having fun with it, do some more jiu-jitsu. I’m still a dang purple belt, so I got to level up and get better and they can call and when the time is right, it’ll work itself out.”

With an extra $50,000 in his pocket, Perry is just grateful that he made it through a grueling weight cut and a bizarre accident involving an exercise band to make it to fight night. Once the cage door closed, Perry delivered in trademark fashion.

Making the moment sweeter for him was getting to perform in his home state of Florida and picking up a win for his friends and family.

“Hard fought, it was fun, it was a good time and I got the dub at the end of the day and it was important,” Perry said. “I was definitely telling myself before the fight, I was like, the people are behind me and I’ve failed them a couple of times—I wouldn’t say failed, but I’ve lost. So I was really looking to get the win tonight.

“It would have been better by KO, they probably would have been behind me more, but as long as all I’ve heard was that people enjoyed the fight, it was a good fight, that’s what I’m here to do. Bring entertainment.”