Mike Perry issues introspective statement after loss to Geoff Neal

Fan favorite welterweight fighter “Platinum” Mike Perry returned to the Octagon on the undercard of UFC 245, where he collided with top-15 contender Geoff Neal.

In this fight, Perry sought to rebound from a razor close, split decision loss to Vicente Luque, which left his nose badly broken.

Unfortunately for Perry, things didn’t go as planned at UFC 245. Instead, he was walloped by a head kick and a volley of follow-up punches in the fight’s first round.

Speaking on Instagram on Tuesday, Perry issued a long an introspective statement on the state of his MMA career as the year 2019 draws to a close.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6L59PdgiDc/

“He set things up. Adapted to my movement. I was waiting and he took initiative. Thought even tho my right hand loaded I would still block the kick. I remember the kick. Then I went to defensive mode. Didn’t fire back. Didn’t shoot In or go for the clinch. Can’t wait. Had him against the cage but I didn’t GO. Missed my chance,” Perry wrote. “Gonna be an interesting year 2020. I have to look at life with such a different plan. Maybe I’m gonna start living. Possibilities are endless. I am forced to be better. I’ve hit the bottom but I know I will find a path up hill. I’ll be the turtle. Got some sense and inner peace knocked into me. I will be better. The gym is calling me. No pressure. I’ll just be taking my time. I will Earn the right to win again. No telling how long it will take.”

Perry continued in a second Instagram post, explaining where his head was at in the moments after the fight was stopped.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6MFhcPAimG/

“By this moment I was possessed by the ghost of #anthonyjoshua , already flying back to Florida,” Perry wrote. “#Sleepwalking #AutoPilot I ‘came to’ in the locker room. Lost my shit. Couldn’t believe it was me.”

Since joining the UFC in 2016, Perry has gone 6-6. In that time, he’s picked up wins over the likes of Jake Ellenberger, Danny Roberts, Paul Felder and Alex Oliveira, while his losses have come against top-flight foes like Santiago Ponzinibbio, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Luque, and Neal. Despite hovering at the .500 mark since joining the UFC, he’s easily one of the most popular welterweights on the roster, due to a combination of his fan friendly fighting style and his endearing personality.

What do you think is next for Mike Perry after UFC 245?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/17/2019.