Mike Perry re-signs with UFC, officially returning more than 5 years after leaving promotion

Mike Perry is back in the UFC.Uncrowned's Ariel Helwani confirmed Friday that the former welterweight prospect turned bare-knuckle boxing star has re-signed with the promotion, more than five years after his 2021 departure. Perry does not yet have his return fight or date set.After the news broke, Perry and his team shared the following video on social media.View this post on InstagramPerry, 35, first joined the UFC in 2016 and ultimately embarked on a 15-fight run that ended with a 7-8 record. His final appearance came against Daniel Rodriguez in April 2021, when he dropped a unanimous decision to lose four of his final five UFC fights.Life after MMA treated Perry well, though. He joined the BKFC and swiftly became the face of the promotion, even capturing its honorary "King of Violence" title. Perry was a picture-perfect fit for gloveless combat, and won all six of his fights under the banner, including finishes of former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold.After taking a boxing match against Jake Paul in July 2024, Perry eventually returned to MMA earlier this year. He fought fellow veteran Nate Diaz at the inaugural MVP MMA event on Netflix in May and won by second-round stoppage. Perry competed again in MMA as recently as August in Duel: Arena. He was originally matched against Dillon Danis, however the latter withdrew late into fight week and Brandon Jenkins replaced him. Perry lost the bout via a stunning upset in Round 1, suffering defeat via a body kick and punches after dislocating his shoulder.The man known as "Platinum" revealed on "The Ariel Helwani Show" in October that his time in BKFC was over for at least two years, indicating the length of his new UFC contract. Perry also said he didn't expect to need surgery for his shoulder injury.