Mike Perry’s return to MMA at Duel Arena 1 last Saturday turned into a lose-lose situation for him. First, he had to take a massive pay cut to remain on the card after Dillon Danis withdrew from their bout due to a major cut on his forearm. Then, Perry faced replacement opponent Brandon Jenkins and dislocated his shoulder in the very first round, with the fight ending in a terrible knockout loss for him.

Following the setback, the former UFC fighter underwent surgery to treat his dislocated shoulder, and we finally know more about the extent of Mike Perry’s injury after he revealed X-rays showing the damage.

“Top is when dislocated and the bottom is after,” Perry wrote on his Instagram Story while displaying the X-rays of his shoulder.

In the first image, Perry’s shoulder appeared visibly dislocated. The head of the upper-arm bone, known as the humerus, was displaced from the socket, explaining why he was unable to retaliate to Jenkins’ strikes during the main event. In the subsequent image, however, the shoulder had been put back into place, with the humeral head appearing properly aligned.

Though ‘The King of Violence’ has undergone successful surgery, he is expected to be sidelined for at least six to 12 months, depending on his recovery. This was the first time in his career that Perry had dealt with a shoulder injury, but he is certainly no stranger to grueling injuries suffered during fights.

Back in August 2019, Vicente Luque landed a flying knee flush on Mike Perry’s face at UFC Fight Night Uruguay, breaking his nose. Perry’s nose was compromised to the point that he felt like he had no bone in the area. As a result, Perry underwent surgery but returned five months later, only to suffer another defeat against Geoff Neal in December of the same year.

However, Mike Perry isn’t the only fighter to suffer a shoulder injury during a fight. Former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval also dislocated his shoulder against Brandon Moreno in their first fight in 2020, handing the Mexican a TKO victory. Another notable instance came in 2022, when Brian Ortega injured his shoulder against Yair Rodriguez, resulting in another first-round TKO loss for ‘T-City’.

As ‘The King of Violence’ enters recovery mode once again, he has now shared his first thoughts after suffering the tough loss to Brandon Jenkins.

Mike Perry talks about the importance of health after losing his MMA fight

For a fighter like Mike Perry, who has built a solid name for himself after leaving the UFC, competing under different banners becomes an opportunity he can’t afford to pass up when it arises. ‘Platinum’ fought Nate Diaz in a bloody encounter at MVP MMA’s inaugural event back in May, and just a few months later, he returned in August to face Jenkins.

Because of that packed schedule, the 34-year-old could face a significant toll on his body. That realization appears to have come into sharper focus after Perry suffered the dislocated shoulder in his recent fight, reinforcing the importance of prioritizing his health at every stage of his MMA career. Now, he appears willing to carry that lesson forward as he continues his journey.

“Health is wealth,” Perry wrote on X a few days ago. “The MMA lifestyle taking care of the body, mind and spirit. The gym helps the process of growing your strength, but strength is needed in other areas of life and should be exercised everywhere we go. Organize, be consistent, more recovery and stretching. Taking knowledge into my future endeavors. More to work for, more work to do.”

Mike Perry remains optimistic about making a comeback, seemingly looking beyond his latest grueling injury. However, a shoulder injury can be particularly detrimental for a fighter who relies heavily on his hands.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz is another example of a fighter who endured a serious shoulder injury, although his occurred outside competition. Reflecting on his ordeal, the Polish fighter stated that he lost considerable power in his punches after undergoing surgery.

With Mike Perry now focused on his recovery, it remains to be seen whether he eventually gets his much-anticipated showdown with Dillon Danis or decides to pursue a different path.