Jake Paul secured a sixth-round TKO victory over bare-knuckle fighter Mike Perry on Saturday in Tampa, Florida, during an eight-round cruiserweight boxing match. With this win, Paul kept his November 15 showdown with 58-year-old Mike Tyson on track, a fight originally slated for the same night. Paul, a social media star turned boxer, knocked Perry down three times before the referee stopped the bout at 1:12 of Round 6.
“He’s tough as nails… but I just hit too hard, and he took a lot of damage,” Paul remarked. “Mike Tyson, you’re next… It’s anyone, anytime, anyplace.” Despite being a -475 favorite according to ESPN BET, Paul revealed he was battling illness leading up to the fight and had a “basically broken” knuckle.
Perry, 32, became the latest former UFC fighter to fall to Paul. With this victory, Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) adds Perry to a list that includes Tyron Woodley, Nate Diaz, and Ben Askren. At 27 years old, Paul had a noticeable size advantage, standing three inches taller than Perry. Perry (0-2), who typically fights at 175 pounds in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, struggled to adjust to Paul’s superior reach and footwork.
Paul scored an early flash knockdown in Round 1 with a chopping right hand and continued to control the fight from a distance. In Round 2, a jab followed by a right hand dropped Perry again just 30 seconds into the round. Although Perry had a strong third round, even opening a cut over Paul’s left eye, Paul regained control in Round 4, rocking Perry with combinations before the final sequence.
“You did a great job, you were way too fast for me, and I couldn’t adjust,” Perry admitted. “He’s not sitting there waiting to be hit like me.”
Perry’s only previous boxing match was a fourth-round KO loss to journeyman Kenneth McNeil in May 2015, before making his UFC debut a year later. Perry holds a 14-8 MMA record, all of his defeats occurring in the UFC. In the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Perry remains undefeated with a 5-0 record, his last fight being in April.
Paul now looks forward to an eight-round heavyweight bout against Tyson on November 15 in Arlington, Texas, where they’ll wear 14-ounce gloves. Tyson had initially withdrawn from the event—set to be streamed on Netflix—after an ulcer flare-up on a flight in May. Saturday’s win marked Paul’s second fight of 2024, following a first-round KO of journeyman Ryan Bourland in March in Puerto Rico.
“In two years, I will be the cruiserweight champion of the f—ing world,” Paul declared. “I’m way sharper, cleaner. I think he hit me with like one shot tonight… It’s back to the drawing board, and I’m just going to keep getting better.”
Serrano Scores TKO 2, Sets Up Taylor Rematch
Amanda Serrano delivered a second-round TKO victory against Stevie Morgan in the junior welterweight co-feature, setting up a November 15 rematch with Katie Taylor. Serrano, a former seven-division champion, dominated Morgan, who was competing at the top level for the first time. Puerto Rico’s Serrano (47-2-1, 31 KOs) landed at will, stunning Tampa’s Morgan (14-2, 13 KOs) multiple times before the referee intervened.
“I think these girls mistake my kindness for weakness,” said Serrano, ESPN’s No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer. “If you’re not on my level, that’s what happens… I knew she lacked the experience, and this might have been too much for her.”
This was Serrano’s first fight since October when she outpointed Danila Ramos. She had originally planned to fight in Puerto Rico in March, but an allergic reaction to hair braiding gel forced her to cancel the event. Serrano now turns her attention to the rematch with Taylor for the undisputed junior welterweight championship. Their first encounter in April 2022 at Madison Square Garden was the biggest fight in women’s boxing history.
Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs), who won their first fight by split decision to retain the undisputed lightweight championship, is ESPN’s No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer. Their rematch was initially scheduled for May 2023 in Dublin but was postponed due to Serrano’s injury.
“Can’t wait to go in there with you once again,” Serrano said. “This time, it’s going to be a lot different.”
