Mike Perry vs. Robbie Lawler is booked for UFC 255 on Nov. 21, according to multiple sources.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 24, 2020
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.
ESPN announced the news on Thursday that Robbie Lawler (28-15, 1 NC) will be squaring off with Mike Perry (14-6) at UFC 255. Their 170-pound affair will be taking place on Nov. 21, likely at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Lawler has not won a fight since 2017, dropping four consecutive bouts to Rafael dos Anjos, Ben Askren, Colby Covington and Neil Magny since then. Although the Askren bout was marred with controversy with a questionable stoppage from referee Herb Dean, the other three unanimous decision defeats left no doubt. The former champ won the title in 2014, where he defended it in a battle for the ages against Rory MacDonald in 2015 and then survived a scare in a title unification match against Carlos Condit in 2016.
Perry rebounded from the first knockout loss in his career by taking a decision over Mickey Gall in June. “Platinum” posts almost 80 percent of his wins by knockout, and he started his career at 9-0 with nine knockouts before losing a decision to Alan Jouban in 2016. Beyond the Octagon, Perry has been embroiled in personal issues, most recently when Perry allegedly struck multiple people in a restaurant while hurling several racial epithets in July. Since then, Perry has apologized for his conduct and entered an anger management program. The program lasted 30 days, and Perry was said to have completed it in order to be cleared to compete.
UFC 255 goes down on Nov. 21 most likely at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Headlining the card is a pair of flyweight title fights, with Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt in the top billing, while Valentina Shevchenko defends her throne against Jennifer Maia. Also on the main card is a light heavyweight rematch as Mauricio Rua and Paul Craig run it back following their draw in 2019.