Eddie Alvarez believes he made a crucial error when facing Mike Perry.
Last month, Alvarez suffered a fractured orbit and lost by corner stoppage in the main event of BKFC 56 against Perry. After the fight, Alvarez commended Perry’s endurance and expressed surprise at how well Perry endured powerful shots. Following some reflection, Alvarez acknowledged that he may have underestimated the challenge of bare-knuckle boxing.
Alvarez recently remarked, “If I could change a few things, I might have given up a little too much size and weight.” He expressed regret for conceding size and weight to Perry, emphasizing that he still believed he could defeat him despite the disparity. Alvarez mentioned that he tried to negotiate a lower weight class, but ultimately had to accept the size difference. He also admitted to taking a risk in the fight, expressing a desire to engage Perry directly rather than evading. However, he admitted that he may have erred in not capitalizing on the moment when he had Perry hurt.
Alvarez described his fighting style and noted that he had hurt Perry early in the fight. He regretted not pushing the advantage further and acknowledged that a small adjustment could have made a significant difference, though the outcome was ultimately affected by his fractured orbit.
The fight took place at 175 pounds, 20 pounds heavier than Alvarez’s usual weight of 155 pounds. Alvarez had previously anticipated having a speed advantage at the higher weight but underestimated the impact on his power.
Alvarez remarked, “He’s a battle axe. He’s like a zombie. The punches I landed would have dropped most opponents, but at the heavier weight, they didn’t have the same impact.” He acknowledged that his decision to drop down in weight had affected his power and given Perry the ability to withstand his blows.
Alvarez sustained two fractures to his left eye socket and is expected to take an extended break from fighting. Despite this, he expressed a desire to return to BKFC in 2024 for a potential rematch with Perry under more equal conditions.
Alvarez expressed a wish to fight at his natural weight in the future and outlined his ideal scenario for a rematch with Perry. He stated that fighting at a weight closer to his natural one would be the best case and highlighted his desire to meet Perry at a weight that suits them both.
