EXCLUSIVE | Alan Jouban says ‘punk’ opponent Mike Perry trying to follow in footsteps of Conor McGregor

UFC welterweight Alan Jouban will be looking to get on a new level after his next fight coming up against the undefeated and controversial Mike Perry at UFC on FOX 22 in December. Jouban says that with a good performance against Perry, he will achieve his first MMA goal of breaking into the UFC welterweight rankings.

Jouban recently was a guest on BJPenn.com Radio and spoke with our host “Kinch” about his UFC welterweight opponent, Mike “Platinum” Perry and how he thinks their fight will play out on December 17 in Sacramento, California.

“You know, as a fighter, he’s a tough guy,” Jouban said. “Undefeated, 9-0, 9 knockouts so he likes to throw heavy hands.

“As a person, he’s a bit of a punk. He likes to talk a lot of trash on twitter. He’s trying to kinda follow in Conor McGregor’s footsteps. He’s doing the talk a lot of trash thing. It’s gonna get a lot of hype and momentum building in this fight and in future fights but I like the matchup, to be honest. I’ve really embraced it. He’s a striker, I’m a striker. He thinks he’s gonna knock me out. I know I’m going to pick him apart and put him to sleep this fight so I’m looking forward to putting on a show on big FOX.”

“He hasn’t fought anybody with my skillset yet. His last opponent, the guy from London was the closest to me that he’s fought yet. The guy was a southpaw striker and a technical guy but he didn’t do things quite as well as I do. He didn’t have the power that I have and he wasn’t able to smell blood in the water like I do when I put guys away as soon as I see that they’re hurt.

“Mike swings for the fences. He’s dangerous, you know? I respect him as a fighter. He could hurt anybody at any point but I’m not gonna let that happen. I’m not just gonna stand there and just brawl flat-footed like what he does. I’m gonna pick him apart and hurt him to the body, I’m gonna hurt him to the face and then when I see that flinch in his eye, I’m gonna put his lights out, 100 percent.

As far as Perry’s mental warfare going into the fight, Jouban says he doesn’t take it personally.

“The guy came out on twitter recently and wants to talk a bunch of shit, acting like he’s you know, like I said, he’s trying to do the Conor McGregor thing. I get it though you know, I don’t really take it personal but in my eyes, he’s got his little cheap following of followers that they see a guy with tattoos on his stomach and he’s beating his chest and they think, ‘Oh this guy is cool.’ They follow him, and he’s got like five followers now. They want to talk shit for him on twitter and you know these people that need somebody to look up to, a low-class guy like Mike, and that’s what he feeds off of.

“So he’s on twitter talking trash and he’s building the fight so I’m not mad at him. He’s gonna build the fight, it’s gonna be a great fight but I see through it. You know what I’m saying? I been in the game for a while now, longer than him. I been doing combat sports, been fighting for 10 years now, fought guys like him and I look at him technically and I see where his holes are and I’m gonna expose him.”

Who are you predicting to win the UFC welterweight fight between Alan “Brahma” Jouban and Mike “Platinum” Perry when they meet in the Octagon at UFC on FOX 22 on December 17? Sound off in the comment section and let us know who you got!