Matt Brown understands why Mike Perry took Dillon Danis fight over returning to BKFC to face Darren Till

Mike Perry has established himself as one of bare-knuckle boxing's brightest stars through his dominant performances in BKFC, but the former UFC fighter is pivoting toward an MMA bout against Dillon Danis on Saturday in Florida rather than returning to defend his undefeated record against Darren Till.

Perry compiled a 6-0 BKFC record featuring four stoppages, highlighted by a grueling six-round war with Michael "Venom" Page and victories over ex-UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez. However, after nearly a year away from bare-knuckle competition—most recently fighting Nate Diaz under the MVP MMA banner—Perry is now preparing to face the polarizing grappler Danis in traditional MMA.

Retired UFC welterweight Matt Brown, speaking on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast, articulated the financial and strategic logic behind Perry's decision. Brown suggests Perry is capitalizing on his BKFC stardom by taking a lucrative MMA fight against an opponent who poses less danger than Till, a former UFC title contender and knockout artist in bare-knuckle. "He's just capitalizing on his name," Brown said, noting that Danis's only real threat comes via submission given his grappling pedigree—Danis holds just three MMA fights despite elite wrestling credentials.

Brown also acknowledged Danis's value as a draw, crediting the outspoken fighter's social media antics and controversial presence with generating audience interest regardless of fighting acumen. For Danis, this represents a career-defining opportunity: proving himself against a legitimate striker with genuine power and takedown defense. "This is his chance to really prove himself," Brown explained, recognizing that an upset victory could reshape Danis's trajectory in MMA.

Still, Brown sees Perry as the clear favorite. While acknowledging that "anything can happen" in combat sports, he views Perry's power and durability as overwhelming obstacles for Danis to overcome, making a Perry victory the likely outcome.