Will Mike Perry add to his highlight reel of crazy moments at UFC on ESPN 12?

We’re sure that, like us, you’re pumped for the main event at UFC on ESPN 12 this weekend. Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker look all set to serve up a classic lightweight matchup that could potentially end up in the “Fight of the Year” conversation in six months’ time.

But while the all-out war expected in the main event is sure to occupy the lion’s share of attention ahead of fight night, it’s worth remembering what’s serving as the appetizer for that firecracker of a headliner.

That’s right, we have a Mike Perry fight.

Perry’s UFC record may not be stellar – he’s batting .500 in the UFC across his 12 career bouts on the big stage – but when “Platinum” is on the fight card, there’s always some added anticipation.

Whether it’s his pre-fight antics – like his no-handshake faceoff with Hyun Gyu Lim on his debut at UFC 202, or his impromptu dance-off with Alex Oliveira during the Brazilian’s walkout at UFC on ESPN+ 8 – or his fights themselves, which often produce bloody wars and brutal finishes, when Perry is involved, something crazy usually ensues.

Perry (13-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) returns to action Saturday night at the UFC Apex, where he’ll take on Mickey Gall in a welterweight clash that looks set to generate headlines, one way or another.

Gall (6-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) was one of the poster boys for “Dana White’s Lookin’ For A Fight,” having claimed a big win on an early episode of the YouTube show and called for a shot against former WWE superstar CM Punk. UFC president Dana White liked Gall’s moxie and gave him a chance to earn his shot, and the New Jersey native has been a part of the UFC’s welterweight roster ever since.

Perry, meanwhile, earned his spot at UFC 202, made an instant impact with a first-round finish of Lim and has been making headlines, good and bad, ever since, including in the lead-up to his fight on Saturday, where he revealed an approach to cornerman duties that can best be described as unusual.

“All I need the corner for is to pass me the bottle of water,” Perry told MMA Junkie. “Wipe my head off or put the ice on my neck when I get hot coming in between the rounds. It’s probably not gonna go more than five minutes, and if it does, all I need is a bottle of water. I need to sip a drink, put some ice on my neck, and I don’t need no advice.

“I feel like I never really gotten advice. I feel like people just sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher in the corner. … They don’t even know what the (expletive) to say because they wouldn’t go in there and do what the (expletive) they’re talking about. I don’t really know how the coaching (expletive) works. It doesn’t really matter.”

As a result, Perry will have just one person in his corner on Saturday night – his girlfriend. To paraphrase a quote from the legendary sportscaster Pepper Brooks, that’s a bold strategy. Let’s see if it pays off for him.

Ahead of his fight with Gall, check out Mike Perry doing Mike Perry things in the video above.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.