BKFC's Feldman: No Hard Feelings Over Mike Perry's Exit

BKFC founder and president David Feldman says there is no bad blood with Mike Perry. Perry recently said he is done with bare-knuckle fighting and will go back to MMA full time.

The former "King of Violence" has been the face of bare-knuckle for several years. He did not take any parting shots at the promotion on his way out.

Feldman said he was told Perry got an offer he could not refuse. "From what I heard, he got an unbelievable offer and that should be announced pretty soon," Feldman told MMA Fighting. He added that he had not listened to Perry's interview, but does not believe Perry said anything bad about BKFC.

Homegrown names over big signings

Feldman pointed to ticket sales as proof the company can carry on without Perry. BKFC sold 14,000 tickets at Fenway Park with no big names on the card. It intends to sell 18,000 in Philadelphia, and to repeat that in Miami for KnuckleMania VII.

"I'm not going to say we don't need him, but the money that it costs to bring Mike Perry back to BKFC, doesn't make a lot of sense for us right now," Feldman said. "Unless it's an unbelievably huge name, I want to focus on building guys from the ground up."

The door is not closed. Feldman said Perry could return if he decides he wants to fight bare-knuckle again, or if the rumored MMA deal falls apart. "There was no problem with the organization," he said. "It's just a matter of the direction that he's going now and the direction that the company is going in now."

One matchup is still on Feldman's wish list: Perry against Darren Till. That fight has not happened. "We would love that fight," Feldman said.

"No animosity at all," he said about working with Perry. "At the end of the day, I've got to protect the company but at the same time I'm not going to overpay for something I don't think we're going to get a [return of investment] on."

Source: MMA Fighting