Tomorrow night in the headliner of BKFC 41, we are going to see a middleweight showdown between two big time fighters. Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold (16-6 MMA) will be making his Bare Knuckle debut as he takes on “Platinum” Mike Perry (2-0).
Rockhold fought last year against Paulo Costa in his return fight in the UFC and fell short by decision. While he was still under contract with the promotion, Rockhold requested his release and the UFC granted his wish. Following the release, he signed with BKFC and was immediately booked against Perry.
Mike Perry and BKFC are a match made in heaven. Following the completion of his UFC contract, Perry jumped to Bare Knuckle and has fought twice thus far. his first bout came against Julian Lane last February and then in August, he took on Michael “Venom” Page in London.
The Page fight was incredibly impressive. He took some big shots, but he also dropped the decorated striker and won a decision. Now, he will take on and welcome the former UFC champ to Bare Knuckle.
BKFC 41 Prediction
Luke Rockhold has a ton of attributes that should help him in this fight. The main attribute being his size. Rockhold is a guy who could easily fight at light heavyweight in MMA and not be small for the division. Mike Perry is a guy who fought the majority of his career at welterweight.
One thing I’m really curious to see is how Rockhold looks with his hands. While he does have decent hands, Rockhold’s primary striking weapon is his kicks and he won’t be able to use those at BKFC. He’s going to have to completely rely on his hands.
If this fight takes place at a jabbing range, Luke Rockhold is going to run away with this fight. However, if Perry can close the distance and make this thing dirty, I think he has a tremendous shot to win the fight. I’m torn on my pick because part of me really thinks Perry is just better suited for BKFC than Rockhold.
However, I think Rockhold has high fight IQ and I believe that he’ll use his jab and keep this at a distance which will help him tremendously. They’ll be a few wild exchanges, but I’m expecting a decision and it’ll be a close win for the former UFC champ.
Prediction: Luke Rockhold by Decision