Mike Perry Opens Door to McGregor MMA Showdown but Refuses to Wait on UFC

Mike Perry says he is open to an MMA fight with Conor McGregor but will not pause his career waiting for the UFC to make it. With McGregor preparing a return to active competition, Perry is putting the onus on the promotion to move.

The news

Mike Perry says he is willing to finally meet Conor McGregor inside an MMA cage, but he is not going to put his career on hold while the matchup gets sorted out. I'll just keep fighting when I get opportunities that make sense, Perry said, adding that the ball is in the UFC's court if the promotion wants to make the fight.

Prior context

McGregor, a former two-division UFC champion with a 22-6-0 professional record, is preparing for a return to competition after UFC CEO Dana White announced his comeback. The friction with Perry has grown out of McGregor's vocal interest in bare-knuckle boxing, a space where Perry has built himself into a marquee attraction.

Perry has previously taken aim at McGregor for chasing attention in bare-knuckle without ever competing in it, vowing to f*** up the Irishman if they ever share a venue. The friction sets up a natural collision between McGregor's pending return and Perry's run of combat-sports success.

Key facts

McGregor's professional MMA record stands at 22-6-0.
Dana White has announced McGregor's return to active competition.
Perry has cited a 5-0 record in bare-knuckle while criticizing McGregor's lack of experience there.
Perry says he will keep accepting fights rather than wait on a McGregor booking.

What it means

For the UFC, Perry's stance reframes the negotiation: a McGregor comeback fight against a credible, name-value opponent is sitting on the table, but only if matchmakers move quickly. For Perry, refusing to wait protects his momentum and keeps leverage on his side, since a busy fighter remains the more attractive booking. For McGregor, the public callout adds another high-profile option to a return slate that the promotion is still shaping.

What to watch next

The next milestone is any concrete signal from the UFC on McGregor's opponent and return date. If Perry books another fight in the interim, the window for a clean McGregor matchup narrows and the story shifts to whoever the promotion lines up instead.