The short answer — of course he is. While at the time it seemed innocuous, the brash Florida fighting animal might just be a marketing expert. The promotion consistently has the upper hand against the fighter financially. Rewinding back to 2015, Fight Night Mir vs. Duffee, was the first event to eliminate sponsorships on the fighter’s apparel during the fight. The ability for fighters to net money became more difficult as they already had to deal with losing banners in the UFC. Even though many may laugh at Mike Perry for his wild character, his idea to auction his cornermen spot is smart business in a cut-throat industry.
Fight Island Media Scrum With Dana White
President of the UFC, Dana White had choice words for the welterweight fighter, mostly boiling down to “you can’t do that”. While the company has condemned it, they will no doubt follow through on making sure it’s less feasible. However, Perry has already had two of his significant others corner him in recent fights. Most notably picking up a dominant unanimous decision win over Mickey Gall. With sponsorships limited in payouts and opportunities, fighters will look elsewhere to fill the void. The enforcement of stopping a fighter from auctioning his cornermen spot will undoubtedly be a difficult task.
Mike Perry Allowed To Auction His Cornermen?
In perhaps his biggest fight to date, Perry takes on former champion, Robbie Lawler at UFC 255. The brawler even got Darren Till’s attention with a serious offer too. The UFC has laid down the law, and less will be heard of this, but more of it will occur. When less attention is focused on Perry’s corner, auctioning his cornermen spot will become easier in the future. Perry is allowed to auction his cornermen spot, and given the circumstances in the world, most gyms are closed. Therefore personal friends and family may be ever-present in upcoming fights, as the enforcement of White’s rule is impossible.
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