Perry defends BKFC title with fifth-round TKO of Stephens at BKFC 82

Mike Perry stopped Jeremy Stephens by technical knockout in the fifth round to retain the BKFC King of Violence title at BKFC 82 on Saturday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The referee halted the main event at 1 minute 35 seconds of Round 5 after Perry scored a series of knockdowns and Stephens was unable to mount a recovery.

The bout opened with Stephens landing heavy shots that briefly wobbled Perry, but Perry steadied himself and began pressuring his opponent through the middle rounds. Perry landed significant blows that dropped Stephens in the third, and he scored additional knockdowns in the fourth and fifth rounds before the referee ended the fight. Officials recorded the stoppage as a TKO at 1:35 of the final round.

Both fighters entered the showdown with profiles built in mixed martial arts. Perry came in as an undefeated bareknuckle competitor with notable BKFC wins and had last fought in April, when he stopped Thiago Alves. Stephens had been unbeaten in his BKFC tenure and carried recent victories over former UFC competitors into the match. Their crossover histories and combined Octagon experience added to the build-up for the headline bout.