In the brutal, blood-soaked world of bare-knuckle boxing, where fighters trade haymakers without gloves or mercy, Mike "Platinum" Perry has emerged as the undisputed kingpin. The 34-year-old Flint, Michigan native, once a chaotic welterweight in the UFC known for his trash-talking flair and knockout artistry, has reinvented himself as the face of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). But beyond the cauliflower ears and the "King of Violence" moniker he proudly wears, Perry's story is one of financial redemption a gritty climb from modest MMA purses to seven-figure windfalls that have padded his bank account like a well-worn glove.
As of late 2025, Perry's net worth is estimated at around $2.5 million, a figure pieced together from public disclosures, fighter payouts and industry insiders. That's a far cry from the $1 million mark he hovered at during his UFC exit in 2021, but it's a testament to his savvy pivot to BKFC, where he's gone 8-0 since debuting with a unanimous decision over Julian Lane. Yet, even as the paydays stack up, Perry's path hasn't been without potholes: a recent $800,000 tax nightmare from his high-profile boxing loss to Jake Paul nearly derailed his empire. "I'm retiring, though," Perry lamented on his OverDogs podcast in November. "They’re not letting me be rich. They were like, ‘Oh, you thought you were rich? Give us everything you have.’" It's a raw reminder that in combat sports, the real opponents aren't always in the ring.
Perry's financial ledger tells a tale of evolution. Back in the UFC, where he compiled a 7-8 record across 15 bouts from 2016 to 2021, earnings were steady but unspectacular. According to breakdowns from MMA outlets like Sportskeeda and The Sportster, Perry pocketed roughly $1.3 million total averaging about $87,000 per fight. Highlights included a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his first-round demolition of Jake Ellenberger in 2017 and another for knocking out Alex Reyes later that year. His welterweight clashes with the likes of Paul Felder and Vicente Luque earned Fight of the Night nods, but the base pay rarely topped $100,000, even for main-card slots. "In the UFC, it was grind mode," Perry reflected in a 2022 MMA Hour interview. "You fight hard, but the money? It was enough to survive, not thrive."
The turning point came in 2021, when Perry inked a multi-fight deal with BKFC a promotion then hungry for crossover stars to legitimize its raw, no-holds-barred format. What started as a gamble exploded into a goldmine. Perry's debut purse against Lane was reportedly north of $200,000, more than double his average UFC show money. But it was his 2022 thrashing of former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41 that signaled the shift: a cool $500,000 payout, complete with win bonuses that pushed it higher. "Bare-knuckle? It's freedom," Perry told Ariel Helwani post-fight. "No weight cuts dragging you down, just straight violence and the checks clear bigger."
By 2023, Perry was the BKFC's marquee draw, headlining events and drawing eyeballs with his unfiltered persona. His second-round TKO of Eddie Alvarez at BKFC 56 a bloodbath for the symbolic "King of Violence" strap netted him a staggering $1.1 million, per MMA Uncensored reports. That single night's haul nearly matched his entire UFC career earnings. "Mike Perry’s Fighter Pay: $1.3 Million (15 UFC Fights). $1.1 Million (1 BKFC Fight)," the outlet tweeted, underscoring the disparity. Perry didn't mince words about the deal that made it possible: an $8 million multi-fight contract signed late that year. "I have to say they put about $8 million on contract," he boasted to MMA Fighting. "I’ll just go ahead and put that out there because f*** them they’ve got to fight me now because I’m ready to make this money. I got this house I’m paying for, this family... I’m ready to fight, promote, talk some s*** and punch some people in their face."
The bonanza continued into 2024. At BKFC KnuckleMania 4, Perry's 60-second demolition of Thiago Alves earned a disclosed $600,000 purse—the event's highest, per California State Athletic Commission filings obtained by MMA Junkie. Alves walked with $200,000 in defeat, but Perry's star power commanded the premium. "Platinum" followed that with a grueling defense against Jeremy Stephens at BKFC 82 in October 2024, speculated to fetch around $700,000 based on escalating contract tiers and insider estimates from Sportskeeda. Across eight BKFC fights, Perry's total haul likely exceeds $4 million factoring in undisclosed bonuses, PPV points and his role as the promotion's ambassador.
Endorsements have added luster to the ledger. With over 1 million Instagram followers (@mikeperry170), Perry commands six figures annually from brands like YoungLA athleisure, Bucked Up energy drinks and Alphabook betting. His OverDogs Podcast, co-hosted with MMA personalities, pulls in sponsorships, while cameos in combat media keep the revenue flowing. Real estate whispers suggest a modest Orlando-area home, bought post-UFC, but Perry's kept his assets low-key no fleets of Lambos like some flashier peers.
Yet, for all the highs, 2025 brought a gut punch. Perry's July 2024 boxing bout against Jake Paul stepping in for an injured Mike Tyson promised a career payday, reportedly tripling his UFC totals, per BKFC president David Feldman. "He's making more money than he's made in... triple the money that he made his whole UFC career," Feldman said on a podcast. Estimates pegged Perry's guaranteed purse at $2-3 million, but an accounting snafu left him blindsided by an $800,000 IRS bill. "1 year, a little over a mil saved, that’s what hurt me, but 37% is 629k, so something is off," he vented on X, blaming his team for the oversight. The saga, detailed in an OverDogs episode, has Perry mulling retirement at a BKFC peak, eyeing a superfight with Alberto Mundell instead of hanging up the wraps.
Perry's arc from prison stint as a teen to UFC cult hero to BKFC cash cow mirrors the sport's underbelly: risk everything, reap selectively. At $2.5 million net worth, he's no Conor McGregor, but he's proof that reinvention pays. As he eyes 2026, with BKFC's global push and potential crossovers (he's teased Jake Paul rematches), Perry's earnings could swell past $5 million annually. "No return to UFC," he insisted last year. "The pay cut would be massive." In bare-knuckle's unforgiving arena, Platinum's just getting started—taxes be damned.
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