Mike Perry has thrown out a surprise challenge to Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk, saying he wants the UFC to book a fight between them. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the former UFC welterweight said he would like to return to the Octagon for what would be a major crossover matchup.
Perry, who has become one of the biggest names in bare-knuckle boxing since leaving the UFC, admitted that the fight would be just as much about the payday as the competition. While the matchup seems unlikely because of Punk’s WWE schedule and the UFC’s past comments about his MMA career, the challenge has already sparked plenty of buzz.
Mike Perry wants a UFC return to fight CM Punk
During the interview, Perry first talked about facing a big celebrity opponent before bringing up WWE’s top champion.
“Let me fight CM Punk. UFC, bring me back. I’ll fight CM Punk in the UFC,” Perry said.
Perry also shared that he has heard there were talks about bringing him back to the UFC after his success outside the promotion. However, he said everything depends on the money.
Perry called himself a “prizefighter” and said he has made good money since leaving the UFC in 2021. Even so, he believes a fight with Punk would be big enough to make a UFC return worthwhile, even if it meant earning less than some of his recent fights.
Since leaving the UFC, Perry has become one of BKFC’s biggest stars with wins over several well-known opponents. He is also staying active, with an MMA fight against Dillon Danis already on the schedule.
While Perry seems interested in making the fight happen, Punk has little reason to consider it right now. The 47-year-old is enjoying another successful run in WWE and is set to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam.
CM Punk’s MMA career remains one of the most talked-about stories in UFC history. After leaving WWE in 2014, he made his UFC debut in 2016 against Mickey Gall but lost by first-round submission. Two years later, he returned to face Mike Jackson and lost by unanimous decision. That result was later changed to a no contest after Jackson tested positive for THC.
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