Mike Perry is officially returning to the UFC after re-signing with the promotion, bringing an end to his more than five-year absence from the Octagon.
The 35-year-old American, popularly known as “Platinum,” confirmed the news on Friday, November 13, 2026. His manager, Malki Kawa, also announced the signing, welcoming Perry back to the promotion. However, the UFC has yet to announce an opponent or date for his first fight following his return.
Perry initially joined the UFC in 2016 and made his promotional debut at UFC 202, where he defeated Hyun Gyu Lim via first-round TKO. He went on to compete 15 times inside the Octagon, recording seven victories and eight defeats. During that period, Perry became known for his aggressive fighting style, powerful striking and willingness to engage in entertaining exchanges.
His UFC victories included wins over Alex Reyes, Jake Ellenberger, Paul Felder, Mickey Gall and Alex Oliveira. Perry’s final appearance came at UFC Vegas 23 in April 2021, where he suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Daniel Rodriguez. The loss followed another decision defeat to Tim Means, leaving him with consecutive losses before his departure from the promotion.
Following his UFC exit, Perry made a successful transition to bare-knuckle boxing after signing with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) in 2022. He quickly became one of the promotion’s biggest attractions, building an unbeaten run and defeating several established combat sports names, including Michael “Venom” Page, Luke Rockhold, Eddie Alvarez and Jeremy Stephens. His performances earned him BKFC’s “King of Violence” title and helped establish his reputation as one of the sport’s most recognisable figures.
Perry also stepped into professional boxing in July 2024, facing Jake Paul. However, he suffered a sixth-round TKO defeat in the contest. Although he found considerable success in bare-knuckle competition, Perry returned to mixed martial arts in May 2026. He faced former UFC rival Nate Diaz on the MVP MMA card headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. Perry secured a second-round corner-stoppage TKO victory, marking a successful return to MMA. However, his next appearance did not go as planned.
Perry was originally scheduled to face Dillon Danis at Duel Arena 1 in August, but Danis withdrew from the contest shortly before fight night. Brandon Jenkins stepped in as a late replacement and stopped Perry via first-round TKO at 2:38. Perry suffered a shoulder injury during the contest, which contributed to the stoppage and handed him a disappointing result ahead of his UFC return.
Perry’s re-signing gives the UFC another familiar and recognisable name, particularly after his success outside the promotion. However, his next opponent, fight date and weight class have not been announced. His return also comes after a lengthy absence from the Octagon and a recent first-round defeat in MMA.
After more than five years away, Perry is once again a UFC fighter. Attention will now turn to who the promotion selects to welcome “Platinum” back to the Octagon.
