“Platinum” Mike Perry says UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones introduced him to his current girlfriend, Latory Gonzalez.
Perry and Gonzalez have been in the headlines quite a bit over the last few weeks.
Perry is set to take on Mickey Gall in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 12 this Saturday night in Las Vegas, and has generated some widespread head-scratching by making Gonzales his only corner for the fight.
Speaking to CBS Sports, Perry explained how he met Gonzalez. Apparently, their meeting was the handiwork of the light heavyweight champ, Jones.
“So I walked in and Jon Jones saw me and he smiled. He looked to his right and he saw Latory and he grabbed her hand and he grabbed my hand,” Perry said. “He might have grabbed mine first; it makes me feel better [if I say] he grabbed mine first. He grabbed my hand and brought our hands together and I picked her up and gave her a hug and said, ‘Let’s get out of here.’”
While many fans feel Perry would benefit from having an actual coach in his corner this Saturday, he seems pretty content with having his girlfriend waiting for him between rounds.
He explained the appeal of the arrangement to CBS.
“Peace and quiet to hear [Gall’s] corner. I don’t ever hear nothing of value, bro,” Perry said. “I have been in positions in fights. When ‘Cowboy’ [Donald Cerrone] was going for the armbar, I didn’t hear anyone yelling for me to watch for that armbar. Maybe I’m not listening or something but I just feel like, ‘OK, if I ain’t going to listen anyways, why the f— should they be here and get any of the credit? What the f— did they do for me to get a front row seat to one of the best f—ing shows on planet Earth?’
“This is a ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry fight, bro, and there’s one person in this world who deserves the opportunity for that front row seat and that’s the most beautiful thing that I ever saw,” Perry added. “It’s my girl, Latory Gonzalez.
“[Gonzalez] is new motivation, the best motivation and the motivation I’ve been looking for my whole life,” Perry concluded. “What does a guy fight for? Deep down, the animalistic features we have say that ‘if I could beat that guy and bite his neck before he bites mine, I get to take the pretty girl home.’”
What do you think of these comments from Mike Perry? How do you think he’ll fair against Mickey Gall tomorrow night?