Jake Paul has already kicked off his war of words with Mike Perry as the pair get set to box in Florida next month.

The former UFC star turned bare knuckle boxing sensation has been calling for a fight between the pair since they last shared the ring in a 2021 sparring session. And after Paul’s meeting with Mike Tyson was rescheduled to November 15 because of a medical issue, he has finally had his wish granted.

Perry has been on a tear of late, winning five straight in BKFC and a Triad Combat bout since leaving the UFC in 2021. And in the meantime he has developed his star power significantly from a lovable journeyman in MMA to one of combat sports’ most in-demand attractions.

Jake Paul and Mike Perry confirm July 20 boxing fight

After years of taking on former UFC stars such as Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz, it had been believed that Jake Paul was going a different route in the boxing world. To kick off his next run, he won two tune-up fights against professional boxers Andre August and Ryan Bourland.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images for Netflix
But he has returned to the well in Perry, with the pair announcing today that they would headline an event entitled Fear No Man in Tampa, Florida. The fight takes place on July 20, the originally scheduled date for his bout with Mike Tyson which is still scheduled for later this year.

Paul is even taking his rival to the Amalie Arena, where he had arguably his greatest boxing moment; stopping Woodley with a shot that earned 2021’s ‘KO of the Year’. Since then, he has had some big nights but has yet to land a highlight reel knockout of the same impact.

Jake Paul takes aim at Mike Perry after ‘Disney Boy’ jibe

During an episode of his podcast Overdogs with Tito Ortiz where the former UFC champion told him to “smash Paul’s a**”, Mike Perry insisted that he would do serious harm if the pair were to fight. He also branded his rival “Disney Boy” after his role on the TV show Bizaardvark.

“If I fight that guy, man, I’m going to hurt that little Disney Boy if he fights me,” Perry replied when backed by Ortiz for the bout. But Paul instantly hit back with a photo of his rival at Disney World in Orlando, questioning who was the true “Disney Boy”.

The jab was just one in a verbal onslaught by Paul, who also shared a video of UFC star Michael Chandler dismissing his story of a rough upbringing. During an episode of Anatomy of a Fighter, the former Bellator champion exposed that Perry had attended a private school and received an impressive GPA.

“Mike Perry went to a private school right outside Detroit, Michigan,” Chandler told teammates during the video. “His parents had a real nice marriage… School uniforms and everything. Liberal arts major, advance placement, AP classes.”

Jake Paul insists he will still face Mike Tyson in November after announcing Mike Perry fight

Paul announced the bout, which will feature Amanda Serrano vs Stevie Morgan as a co-main event, with a post featuring a poster on Instagram today. He also shared a lengthy poem, noting that he would be fighting multiple men named “Mike”.

“1 Mike, 2 Mikes, 3 Mikes, 4. The fact is every opponent has touched the floor,” he wrote. “5 months until Tyson and I go to war. So in the meantime me and Perry are going to make Tampa roar. I fear no man, anytime, anywhere, anyplace.

“On July 20th it’s going to be another W, so let us say grace. For the BKFC champ, who will take a knee. Then we will go to Ireland and take McGregor‘s equity. #PaulPerry Live on DAZN pay-per-view.”