UFC welterweight Mike Perry has thrown shade at Darren Till by declaring Jake Paul the superior sparring partner.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul will face former UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley on August 28. While he’s undoubtedly taken the fight world by storm, his boxing skills are regularly questioned by fans and fighters.
‘Platinum’ Mike Perry, however, seems to rate the ‘Problem Child’s’ skills, based on first-hand experience.
“Jake Paul was a better spar than Till,” Perry recently told the MacLife (h/t Jesse Holland at MMA Mania). “That was an awkward situation with the gloves and shit. Yeah, definitely though.”
Perry famously sparred with Till in 2018 after he accosted the Liverpudlian at a hotel reception. Speaking of the incident, Till refrained from revealing the victor.
The duo’s relationship has shifted wildly between trash talk and the bromantic, with Till’s publicly stated, tongue-in-cheek desire to “rawdog” the American’s fiance forming much of the backdrop. Perry has regularly returned fire, once declaring his intention to “jump-kick’ the Englishman’s mom in the face.
Of the Paul sparring session, Perry said that while he “took over” by the fourth frame, the YouTuber kept him guessing.
“Making you think he’s gonna engage then doesn’t,” he said about Paul’s striking skills. “He’s got long reach, he’s got different tricks, he taught me something. First round he started doing something and I was like ‘okay’ … it wasn’t doing damage, but it was like keeping him at bay.”
Perry is infamous for his flamboyant, and at times, unhinged statements. Despite his complimentary assessment of Paul’s skills, the 29-year-old recently voiced his desire to box Paul’s trainer, J’Leon Love, on the August 28 card.
Perry is presently in a notable UFC career slump. He’s lost four of his last five fights, most recently via unanimous decision to Daniel Rodriguez. Following the fight, Perry declared via Instagram that he “used to be great,” while Darren Till tweeted what seemed a genuine offer to train with the American, to help him get back on track.
What do you think? Is Mike Perry delusional about Jake Paul’s boxing skills?
