Jake "El Gallo” Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) will return to the ring this Saturday for a cruiserweight battle against bare knuckle boxing champion and MMA star "Platinum” Mike Perry (5-0, 3 KOs in BKFC). The bout will takeplace at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, and will be shown live on DAZN pay-per-view. Paul vs. Perry will be an eight-round bout, as Paul risks the opportunity to face boxing legend Mike Tyson in November. Also on this weekend's show, world featherweight champion Amanda "The Real Deal” Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) returns against Tampa, Florida's Stevie "Sledgehammer” Morgan (14-1, 13 KOs). Serrano vs. Morgan will be a junior welterweight battle, contested over ten two-minute rounds as Serrano aims to display her power in a higher weight class. Serrano is also risking a major fight, as she is scheduled for a rematch against world junior welterweight champion Katie Taylor on Friday, November 15th. The undercard will also feature a rematch between two Floridians, Tony Aguilar (12-0-1, 4 KOs) and Corey "2Smoove" Marksman (9-0-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout.  Tickets for Paul vs. Perry and Serrano vs. Morgan at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL will go on sale Wednesday, June 19th at 12pm ET on Ticketmaster.com.

 

Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) has grown as a boxer but Perry's formidable knockout power and fearless mentality will pose a true risk and test for Paul as the 27-year-old aims to prove he has what it takes in the ring against his second youngest opponent to date, the 32-year-old Perry. Paul will nevertheless put it all on the line ahead of his bout against the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson on Friday, November 15th. Since turning pro in 2020, Paul has collected multiple accolades for his commitment to the sport of boxing, including ESPNRingside's 2021 Knockout of the Year, Sports Illustrated's 2021 Breakout Boxer of the Year, ESPNRingside's 2022 Viral Moment of the Year, and was the cover of Sports Illustrated's "The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports” issue, awarded specifically for his groundbreaking work to revolutionize the sport through equitable pay, providing a platform for young fighters, and his support of female boxers. Paul also recently announced a partnership with USA Boxing ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, continuing his mission to elevate the sport and its future champions.

 

Since headlining his first fight, Paul has broken records at every arena he's fought at during his professional career, including his first fight at Tampa's Amalie Arena, Paul vs. Woodley II, which set the record for the highest combat sports gate in the arena's history. Paul now returns to challenge his own record at Amalie Arena.

 

"When Paul vs. Tyson was rescheduled, I knew immediately that I wanted to still fight on Saturday, July 20. Now, as I prepare for my fight against Iron Mike, there's no better opponent for me than Mike Perry,” said Jake Paul. "He's a proven knockout artist who has shown to be a maniac in and out of the ring. This is the perfect experience for me to gain in advance of facing Mike Tyson. But getting that experience comes with risk. Those who know me know I'm a risk taker and while ‘Platinum' Perry might try to end me, I'm Titanium Jake Paul and I fear no man. I'm going to get the W and give everyone a preview of what I'm bringing to the ring against Mike Tyson. Tune in on DAZN PPV as I return to Tampa and send ‘Platinum' Perry the Platypus back to bare knuckle for good.”

 

Perry steps into the ring with Paul following a career across the UFC, Triad Combat, and bare knuckle boxing. Following his 14-win career in the UFC, boasting 11 wins by knockout, Perry made his Triad Combat debut in November 2021, taking on 27-3, 21 KOs seasoned boxer Michael Seals, demonstrating his ability to handle power punchers and outworking Seals to a split decision victory in the bout. Less than three months later, Perry made his bare knuckle boxing debut with BKFC, securing his first win over Julian Lane in 2022, which he followed with a thrilling win over dynamic striker Michael "Venom” Page later that year. Perry's bout with former UFC champion Luke Rockhold in April 2023 ended decisively with a second-round knockout, highlighting Perry's striking power and relentless pressure from the opening bell. In his BKFC "King of Violence” title fight in December 2023 against Eddie Alvarez, the first-ever fighter to become a champion in both UFC and Bellator, Perry displayed his vicious power yet again with a second round TKO due to corner stoppage. Perry earned the 2023 Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Male Fighter of the Year and in April 2024, he expanded his undefeated record to 5-0 with a first-round KO of UFC veteran Thiago Alves. The bout served as the latest testament to the power, tenacity and skill Perry will bring to the ring against Jake Paul on Saturday, July 20 for "Fear No Man”.

 

"Jake Paul claims he fears no man, but on Saturday, July 20th, the world will see the truth: he just made the worst mistake of his life in trying to get through me before Iron Mike,” said Mike Perry. "I'm going to make it look easy on Saturday July 20th, and I'm going to teach Jake Paul the most he's ever learned about fighting."

 

Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs), the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion, started her current featherweight title reign by defeating Heather Hardy in 2019 to win the WBO belt, and has since defended her WBO belt six times. Serrano offered Hardy redemption in August 2023, but successfully defended her undisputed featherweight world champion title for the first time in a decisive 10 round unanimous decision victory. Serrano also won a blood-soaked war against WBA featherweight champion Erika Cruz in February 2023, which made her the undisputed featherweight champion. Serrano's decisive win against Cruz followed her previous win over Sarah Mahfoud in Manchester, England that added the Dane's IBF title to her WBO, WBC, and IBO featherweight belts. Her historic clash against Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden in 2022 earned recognition as Sports Illustrated's Fight of the Year and The Ring's Event of the Year and was further nominated for Event of the Year by Sports Business Journal. Most recently, Serrano took home a unanimous decision victory against her mandatory WBO challenger Danila Ramos, making history in the first-ever women's unified world championship to be fought over 12, three-minute rounds, equal to any men's championship fight, and marking the first time a women's fight has gone the full 12x3. Serrano threw a career high of 1103 punches in the bout. In honor of her trailblazing achievements inside and outside the ring, Serrano was also recently awarded the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Female Fighter of the Year for 2023. Following her bout against Stevie Morgan on Saturday, July 20, Serrano is set to face Katie Taylor in the most anticipated women's boxing rematch in modern history, for the undisputed super lightweight women's championship. Taylor vs. Serrano will be the co-main event of the rescheduled Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson mega-event at AT&T Stadium on Friday, November 15.

 

"I've already been preparing for a fight on Saturday, July 20th, and even though I'll now be waiting a little longer for my rematch with Katie Taylor, this is an opportunity for me to face another tough boxer in Stevie Morgan in Tampa,” said Amanda Serrano. "My opponent has 13 KOs, more than almost every other active female boxer, but I fear no woman – I embrace the war. I look forward to seeing all my Puerto Rican fans in Tampa for my 50th professional fight to show the world my skills at super lightweight, live on DAZN PPV.”

 

Morgan (14-1, 13 KOs), the 34-year-old 5'8” lightweight talent, was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She was an athlete throughout her school years, excelling in track and field, basketball, and football. Her journey into boxing began just a year before her first amateur fight, under the guidance of coach John Cassella. As an amateur, Stevie quickly rose to prominence with around 40 fights and accolades such as Outstanding Female Boxer and Florida Golden Gloves Champion. Stevie made her professional debut on June 18, 2022, with Brandi Mccain's One One Six Promotions in Memphis, Tennessee. Under the expert training of Monyette Flowers at Flowers Boxing Lab, she has continued to build on her amateur success as a professional. Now in just her second year as a pro, she is currently ranked by the WBC and is in the top 10 of the IBF, WBO, and WBA world rankings.

 

"We've been training for an opportunity like this, and I want to give full respect to Amanda for all she has done in her career and for women's boxing,” said Stevie Morgan. "In this sport, though, in order to make a name, you have to take a name. I have 13 KOs and nothing will be sweeter than making Amanda Serrano number 14. Come fight night on Saturday, July 20 there will be fireworks!”

 

"The stakes are high for every single one of MVP's fighters stepping into the ring on Saturday, July 20. For Jake and Amanda, the pressure is on to emerge with a W against two very dangerous opponents in Mike Perry and Stevie Morgan,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP. "Jake Paul is facing a monster in Mike Perry. Amanda Serrano is going in there with a fighter who has 13KOs in 15 fights. Nothing is a given for our two superstars. We also have an incredible lineup of undercard fights coming together, the first of which features highly talented lightweight prospects Aguilar vs. Marksman. This fight will see these young talents putting their undefeated records on the line and working to set a new precedent for hopeful title contenders in the sport. We are excited to return to Tampa and put on another heart racing night of fights.”

 

Aguilar (12-0-1, 4 KOs) and Marksman (9-0-1, 7 KOs) were longtime amateur rivals before turning pro, and now look to secure Florida bragging rights during the bout. The 25-year-old Aguilar, a Crescent City, FL native, returns to the ring off his latest three fights on MVP's Most Valuable Prospects series, including his initial bout against Marksman on Most Valuable Prospects 5 in February 2024. He proudly represents his Mexican heritage in the ring, and is a relentlessly hard-working fighter who will look to keep the action high and his opponent guessing in his eagerly-anticipated rematch against Orlando, Florida's Marksman. In the pair's recent faceoff, the 23-year-old Marksman matched Aguilar's energy and met the challenge with his own aggression and power. Aguilar, promoted by boxing legend Christy Martin, and Marksman fittingly fought to a split draw, a decision each will look to right in their favor on Saturday, July 20 in their first major PPV appearances.

 

"It's great to have Jake Paul back on DAZN in another action packed, high risk fight,” said Jared Kass, SVP North America of DAZN. "With an unprecedented number of top-tier fights every year of DAZN, we are pleased to be adding another huge fight to our already packed summer schedule. Watch the fight exclusively live Saturday, July 20, only on DAZN PPV.”