UFC Veteran Scores Savage Spinning Elbow Knockout on Mike Perry Fight Card

"The Savage" returned to the win column in sensational fashion on Saturday night.

(Duel: Arena)

Mike Perry might be the centerpiece of the inaugural event from fight promotion Dual: Arena, but it was another UFC veteran that helped kick things off with an absolutely savage knockout.

It’s been a busy week for combat sports fans, as the UFC alone has held three different cards between Dana White’s Contender Series on Tuesday, Road to UFC on Friday, and UFC Shanghai on Saturday.

The latter card took place on Saturday morning in the United States and closed out with a major upset when Song Yadong knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov, but the rest of the day also featured plenty of regional MMA action from around the globe.

Dillon Danis Withdrew From Mike Perry Matchup During Duel Arena 1 Fight Week

One show flying under the radar for all but the most hardcore MMA fans was Duel Arena 1 at the Kia Center in Orlando, FL, which was supposed to be headlined by former UFC and current BKFC star Perry taking on Dillon Danis.

Mike Perry speaks at the press conference for the Most Valuable Promotions MMA card at Palladium Theater. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The card was largely built around the bad blood between the two headlining fighters, but Duel Arena 1 took a seismic just days out from the event when Danis pulled out from the fight with an arm injury.

Dillon Danis (red gloves) before his fight against Max Humphrey (not pictured) during Bellator 222 at Madison Square Garden. | USA TODAY Sports

Danis’ withdrawal didn’t come as a massive shock to MMA fans familiar with the 33-year-old’s tumultuous combat sports career, but it did leave the Duel: Arena brass scrambling to find a replacement opponent for Perry before UFC, PFL, and Karate Combat veteran Brandon Jenkins answered the call.

UFC Veteran AJ Cunningham Opens Duel Arena 1 With Jaw-Dropping KO

The headlining matchup with Jenkins is Perry’s second MMA fight this year after “Platinum” returned to the sport for the first time since leaving the UFC and defeated Nate Diaz as part of the main card for MVP MMA 1 in May.

Nate Diaz (blue gloves) fights Mike Perry (red gloves) in a welterweight bout at Intuit Dome. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Duel Arena 1 featured four MMA bouts out of eleven total fights, including an early matchup in the lightweight division between UFC veteran AJ Cunningham and Joe Penafiel.

Even though Duel Arena 1 took a major hit with the loss of Danis, Cunningham at least helped get the promotion’s first event off to a sensational start when he flatlined Penafiel with an incredible spinning elbow.

AJ Cunningham Secures First Win Since UFC Exit

The knockout of Penafiel was easily the most violent highlight of Cunningham’s career, and the 31-year-old now holds a 12-5 record in MMA after exiting the UFC last year.

“The Savage” had a lengthy amateur career that saw him compile an 11-4 record before turning pro in 2018, and after going 10-2 to start his pro career he initially missed out on a chance to join the UFC when he was knocked out by Steven Nguyen on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.

AJ Cunningham during his time with the UFC. | (MMA Junkie)

Cunningham rebounded with a first-round finish three months later before accepting a short-notice opportunity to face Ľudovít Klein, but after being stopped in that bout he dropped a decision to Su Young You in March of last year and saw his UFC run come to end after only two fights.