Mike Perry Picks Dillon Danis Over BKFC Return, Feldman Explains

Mike Perry is the undisputed face of bare-knuckle boxing, and he hasn't set foot in a BKFC ring since October 2025. That gap is about to stretch further. Perry is booked to fight Dillon Danis in an MMA bout on Aug. 29 in Florida, and BKFC president David Feldman admits he can't tell you when — or if — his biggest star comes home.

This is the second time in a matter of months that Perry has taken his talents elsewhere. Back in May, he headlined the first MVP MMA card on Netflix and dispatched Nate Diaz. Now Danis is next, while a bare-knuckle grudge match with Darren Till — a former UFC welterweight standout with an 18-5-1 record — sits in the queue Feldman would love to build.

Feldman told MMA Fighting he can't give a straight answer on Perry's return, saying everything hinges on how the Danis fight plays out and where negotiations land afterward. He did say, confidently, that he believes he can put Till and Perry together early in 2027 based on conversations with both men. That's a hope, not a signed contract.

Feldman's Read on Danis

The BKFC boss isn't hiding his lean. If Perry and Danis were standing and trading, Feldman figures Perry walks through him. Grappling is Danis's calling card, but Feldman thinks Perry is simply too tough for that style to matter. His plan is straightforward: watch Perry win, then get him back to the table.

There's some friendly needle here, too. Feldman recounted Perry telling him they needed to talk money — then turning around and taking fights for less. Feldman gets it: the Danis bout is in Perry's hometown, and he's trying to prove something. Still, it complicates the pitch when your headliner keeps working the discount rack elsewhere.

Why It Matters for BKFC

Perry still has bouts left on his BKFC deal, but the promotion has let him roam for the Diaz and Danis paydays. Feldman insists Perry's biggest, highest-profile fights are still waiting under the bare-knuckle banner. That's a reasonable bet — a Till clash would be a genuine event — but it depends entirely on Perry choosing it.

For now, Feldman is doing the only thing he can: rooting for the Aug. 29 show to sell tickets, which he called the hardest thing in combat sports, and hoping he lands the sit-down that follows. Perry has built a career on going where the fight interests him. Convincing him the next one belongs in BKFC is Feldman's whole job.