UFC On ESPN 12 Clash: Perry Vs. Gall!

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight finishes Mike Perry and Mickey Gall will throw down this Saturday night (June 27, 2020) at UFC on ESPN 12 from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Look, Perry is definitely a goof. He doesn’t like coaches or well-known fight teams. Fortunately, Perry does still get work in with some solid partners around Florida, and more important, “Platinum” has quite a bit of natural talent in the ancient art of punching people in the face. Meanwhile, Gall used some smart marketing tactics to secure himself a big fight with C.M. Punk and easy route to some UFC wins. However, now that he’s in the actual shark tank at 170 pounds, he’s struggling a bit.

Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:

Mike Perry

Record: 13-6
Key Wins: Alex Oliveira (UFC Fight Night 150), Paul Felder (UFC 226), Jake Ellenberger (UFC Fight Night 108), Danny Roberts (UFC 204)
Key Losses: Geoff Neal (UFC 245), Vicente Luque (UFC Fight Night 155), Santiago Ponzinibbio (UFC on FOX 26), Donald Cerrone (UFC Fight Night 139),
Keys to Victory: Perry is an aggressive, power-first striker. He’s got some little tricks to his offense and is surprisingly difficult to take/hold down, but Perry’s primary focus is definitely damage above all else.

He’s stopped 11 of his opponents.

Has Perry lost three of his last five? Yes. However, his two wins in that time period are quality, and each of the losses came to very talented fighters — far above anyone Gall has met inside the Octagon. In other words, this is a step back in competition.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Perry cannot screw it up, but this should be a stylistic layup. In none of his losses was Perry defeated because he kept getting taken down. “Platinum” is a dedicated sprawl-and-brawler, the perfect antidote to Gall’s jiu-jitsu.

Perry just needs to be patient. He can’t get overzealous and give up a dumb takedown, especially not when targeting the body and stalking will produce the same knockout with time.

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Mickey Gall

Record: 6-2
Key Wins: Sage Northcutt (UFC on FOX 22), George Sullivan (UFC Fight Night 135), CM Punk (UFC 203)
Key Losses: Diego Sanchez (UFC 235), Randy Brown (UFC 217)
Keys to Victory: A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Gall has finished five of his victories via submission. Taking the back and sinking in the choke are his bread and butter, but Gall has shown improved kickboxing in recent bouts as well.

Better hands or not, Gall does not want to trade blows with Perry. What he does want, however, is to show punches enough that Perry believes he’s in a kickboxing match. If he can convince Perry to swing wide — does “Platinum” really need much convincing? — that’s pretty much the best possible opportunity to time a double leg takedown.

While getting this fight to the mat is definitely the big-picture game plan, Gall can take advantage of historic Perry flaws on the feet. Namely, Perry can be a bit plodding at times, so sticking him with a long straight shot and pulling way back is a great way to frustrate him. In addition, Perry fights like a boxer, which can leave him open to low kicks.

Stay rangy, frustrate Perry, then take him down.

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Bottom Line

These dudes both need a win.

Perry is fun. His antics are goofy, and his fights are consistently entertaining battles likely to produce a stoppage either way. However, he can also be exasperating … and that part of the “Platinum” enigma is only acceptable if he at least occasionally lands a crushing knockout. There’s also the more real problem that Perry is wasting his genuine potential, but that doesn’t seem to concern Perry himself, so why worry about it?

As for Gall, this is a major risk and reward. On one hand, Gall could score the biggest win of his career in the co-main event, proving his talent at 170 pounds. However, he could also get pulverized in highlight reel fashion and handed a second consecutive loss. He’s not at risk of being cut or contending, but the result here will move him in one direction or the other.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC on ESPN 12 fight card this weekend RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+“Prelims” that are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET, then the main card portion that will also stream on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC on ESPN 12: “Poirier vs. Hooker” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

At UFC on ESPN 12, Mike Perry and Mickey Gall will collide in the co-main event. Which man will earn the victory?