Max Griffin Bloodies Mike Perry En Route to Upset Win at UFC on FOX 28
Max Griffin played spoiler on Saturday night as he dished out a lot of punishment to Orlando’s own Mike Perry in the lead off fight at UFC on FOX 28.
With three to one odds against him, Griffin showcased a strategy that kept Perry exactly where he wanted him — on the outside of his punches and swinging at air for the majority of the fight.
Knowing that Perry would be looking for the one shot knockout, Griffin was on his horse using constant movement to stay away from his opponent’s considerable power. Griffin was quick to the punch, fast on his feet and constantly using his five inch reach advantage to keep Perry away from him.
One of the first glancing right hands from Griffin opened a nasty cut on Perry’s head that saw blood begin pouring down his face more and more as the round wore on.
Perry was constantly stalking Griffin across the Octagon throughout the first and second rounds, but he just couldn’t cut off the cage to land his best shots.
Meanwhile, Griffin was all about sticking and moving, putting his first in Perry’s face and then circling away before he could take any damage in return.
Late in the second round, Griffin was still playing counter fighter and that’s when his best combination landed as he cracked Perry with a short right and then a devastating left that connected flush and put him down on the mat. Griffin followed up with more punches, looking to get the finish but Perry was able to get back to his feet before the horn sounded.
.@MaxPAINmma Griffin wins by unanimous decision over a tough Mike Perry at #UFCOrlando https://t.co/AazbJzuGuq
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) February 25, 2018
As picture perfect as Griffin’s game plan was through the first two rounds, he finally slipped up during the final five minutes with Perry going for the kill throughout.
Perry was just as aggressive as ever but this time Griffin was a little more willing to engage in a few wild exchanges that nearly cost him after eating several hard punches from the Florida native. Perry knew a knockout was the only way to win so he was head hunting throughout and that put Griffin into survival mode by the end of the round.
Still, Griffin was able to endure until the final horn, which was obviously all he had to do to secure the victory as the biggest betting underdog on the card.
The judges returned scores of 29-27, 29-27 and 30-27 all in favor of Griffin.
Perry was dejected in defeat as he lost his second fight in a row, but this one was a much tougher pill to swallow while competing in front of his hometown crowd.
