It’s sort of MMA. That might be our best bid to define what the Dirty Boxing Championship is. The new, straight out of the shelves promotion is up and running, and it’s already making waves. Well, it shouldn’t be, given its first event was never officially streamed online. All we see are clips, and that too of a brutal, rampaging KO. At the center of it is Yoel Romero. And if we could have spotted Mike Perry somewhere, he would be sitting somewhere, smiling.

Perry, 33, hinted at unveiling his promotion earlier this year in July, and we didn’t think it was this—raw. It’s a striking promotion, but fighters should beware. It allows blows in a clinch and strikes when an opponent is down. Talk about taking some inspiration from MMA. But what is the future of the promotion? Will the ‘Platinum’ fight on the future cards? It’s not a remote possibility, as he did tease a fight with his former UFC compadre. But should he do it?

Mike Perry vs. Yoel Romero: For the fans, for the carnage

What has been Perry’s selling point for fans? It’s his charismatic aura. More than that, he can make it ugly and make it grand. That’s the reason the fans love to see him fight. Be it during his UFC days or his current BKFC days, which has allowed him to embrace his aggression and bloodlust without paying heed to safety. Romero, 47, is a similar fighter, albeit with a different build.

The Cuban-American fighter is the epitome of peak athleticism and brute force. His sudden outbursts and heavy blows inside the steel cage made fans worried about his foes. That theme stuck with him wherever he went. It seems the DBC might be a perfect match for him to add a new chapter to his combat sports life.

The same goes for Perry. He is a brawler who thrives in chaos, whereas Romero is an Olympian wrestler who has raw KO power. A hypothetical fight between the two contrasting fighting styles will attract fans and a sizeable crowd, which could be befitting for an event. What’s more? It has a blockbuster written over it.

Entertainment value—off the top

With Perry fighting Jake Paul recently, he garnered respect and a hefty casual fan following, too. When we factor in how the American fighter has burst into stardom with his BKFC stint, he is one of the biggest combat sports stars. All he needs is a perfect stage and some rules to make it fun. Mike Perry’s DBC does it all. That’s not even it.

It has the perfect marketability. It could easily be billed as MMA vs. pure striking. The crossover boxing, a clash of styles, has been a running theme over the past couple of years, hasn’t it been? While ‘Problem Child’ perfected it, Perry could take a leaf out of his former opponent’s book. But a fight involving him and Romero might also decide the future of his still nascent promotion.

Giving a facelift to Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing Championship

We still remember what Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar did to the UFC. It propelled the promotion into the mainstream. DBC needs its own version of Griffin vs. Bonnar and Perry vs. Romero could replicate it. The first event was merely a test run, which became the talk of the town. Now it needs a shot in the arm, and that’s where Perry vs. Romero comes in. However, it all depends on priorities and alignments.

Perry still has aspirations to go back to his thriving BKFC career, which he put on hiatus this year for the Paul fight. Even if he decides to step inside the ring with Romero, the promotion’s fate won’t hinge on their fight.

The undercard fights, logistics, marketing, sponsors, and advertising—it needs it all. It’s still a work in progress and might take some time to even match Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing Promotion—the first bare-knuckle MMA promotion. But we never know. All it takes is a nod and the alignment of stars.

What do you make of this hypothetical fight between Mike Perry and Yoel Romero? Do you think the two fight next? Let us know in the comments below.