Mike Perry: 'As Long As Ponzinibbio Shows Up, He's Going To Sleep'

There are just two UFC fight cards left before the turn of the year and next weekend the Octagon heads to Winnipeg, Canada where welterweights Mike Perry and Santiago Ponzinibbio will go toe-to-toe on the main card.

Perry (11-1) is looking to seal the deal on a perfect 2017 and is riding off back-to-back wins against Jake Ellenberger and Alex Reyes. Speaking to MMANytt.com earlier today, Perry explained that he’s really looking forward to throwing down with the Argentine.

“It’s been absolutely fantastic and I’m in the best shape of my life,” Perry said. “I feel better than I’ve ever felt and you’re going to see the performance of a lifetime on Saturday night.

“I had a lot of time to prepare for Thiago Alves and I ended up taking a three day notice opponent. I’m just looking forward to all of my preparation coming together. I’m also looking forward to fighting this opponent. He comes forward and he comes to fight so I’m going to throw hands. I’m quite experienced in that area and I’m used to opponents that like to kick and wrestle a lot so this changes it up a little. Styles make fights. He’s coming to throw hands and I got a lot of tools for that.

“I’m probably going to knock him the f*** out in the first round.”

Show up and show out

Perry is currently unranked, but a win against Ponzinibbio would likely catapult him into the top-10. If he finishes out the year with three wins and wins finishes, he’s arguably in touching distance of the title and that’s something he’s well aware of.

“It’s always been the same thing, the same work, with the same people and it’s repeating the basics and the fundamentals and putting a few new moves in there,” Perry said. “Then it’s about redoing It again and redoing it again and each time, I do the basics and the fundamentals I get better at it.

“I’ve had the same crew, same squad, same group of guys training with me for years and I was at a little Christmas party for the gym last night, and one of my coaches Julian Williams he was there. He had a few drinks and he got a little excited and he was saying ‘Top-10 in the world baby, top-10 in the world baby.’

“I’m f*cking excited man. I just can’t wait to show up and show out. That’s what I do.”

Getting it done any which way

Perry’s known for the power in his hands, but he’s been using all parts of his body this year to render his opponents unconscious. One aspect of his game fans haven’t seen to it’s full potential yet is his ground game and this weekend he says he’s not going to be afraid to use it.

“I just had a dream that I was f*cking this guy up for two rounds and I was about to choke him out at the end of the second,” Perry said. “I let go of the choke and I just started hitting him and hitting him and he protected himself and I was like, you know, maybe I didn’t want to submit him and I wanted to get that knockout. Who knows man.

“I’m a smart motherf*cker and I’ll take that win any way that it comes to me. I’m very dangerous with submissions so we will see where the fight goes. As soon as I put this jab in his face and bust his face up, he’s probably going to be vulnerable to be susceptible to this right hand and this left uppercut.

“You might just see another Francis Ngannou knockout.”

A message for Santiago

Perry’s never been afraid to send his opponents a message before a fight, but this week is a little different. After his last opponent Thiago Alves didn’t show up at UFC Pittsburgh in September, Perry’s somewhat cautious of scaring Ponzinibbio off.

“Show up,” Perry said. “My last guy didn’t and I had to be nice to Alex Reyes. My opponents are already not showing up and I’m at the highest organization in the world fighting and the toughest motherf*ckers aren’t showing up. A guy that I grew up thinking was going to be champion, and he backs out against me.