The UFC wasted little time dealing with the Mike Perry situation.
Wednesday night, footage emerged of the troubled welterweight fighter punching out an older man during a Tuesday night altercation after an argument at a restaurant in Lubbock, Tex, footage of which can be seen in the video above.
Thursday, the UFC released a statement saying the Perry will not be offered another fight until he completes an alcohol rehabilitation program, and made no promises after that point, beyond reassessing the situation at the proper time.
The statement read:
“UFC is aware and troubled by the video that was released last night concerning Mike Perry. The conduct displayed by Perry is not reflective of that of our organization. Perry apologized for his behavior and acknowledged he was disappointed with himself that his actions may have reflected poorly on UFC. He further acknowledged that he believes he has some issues related to alcohol abuse and has informed UFC that he has committed to immediately seek professional treatment, including substance and behavioral counseling. At this time, UFC has informed Perry that he will not be offered a bout, and the parties have agreed to evaluate next steps for Perry following the completion of his treatment program.”
The 28-year old Perry was with girlfriend Latory Gonzalez at Table 62 when the incident occurred. While it’s unclear who started the physical altercation, Perry dropped the man with a left hook. Afterward, Perry yells for someone to call the police and tells another man to back up while directing the N-word at him three times.
According to TMZ, restaurant management asked the Front Row Management-represented fighter to leave, and he responded by punching the employee. A police report was filed, but no arrests were made.
Perry is coming off a victory over Mickey Gall on June 27, for which Gonzalez was his only corner. Prior to his MMA career, the Florida-based fighter served six months in prison for violating probation terms following a conviction for armed robbery.
