'I did NOT put my hands on my ex': UFC's Mike Perry admits alcohol battle but denies abusing ex-wife as she plans to break silence

UFC fighter Mike Perry has claimed that he is a reformed character in a statement ahead of an expected media story from his ex-wife, denying that he abused her while admitting that his past does not put him "in the best of light".

Women's therapy advocate Danielle Nickerson announced that she was "done being silent" about her long on-and-off relationship with Perry in July, and the welterweight appeared to have heard that his former spouse was about to go public as he issued a statement aiming to "address this here and now".

Perry, who briefly married Nickerson at the end of 2019 and went snowboarding with her earlier this year, was the subject of an attempted injunction by his former flame, who was denied the order after authorities investigated written statements in which she said he had threatened her with violence.

“It’s come to my attention that a media organization will be running a story in reference to a past issue with my ex-wife," Perry told his Twitter following of almost 132,000.

"First and foremost, I did not put my hands on my ex at any point in our short-term marriage.

"Secondly, I have already admitted to having an issue with alcohol, and I have been a part of an intensive rehab program that was able to help address not only that but also helped me with anger management.

"After the completion of the course, I realized that I had said some things in the past that do not put me and what I stand for in the best of light, and for that I apologize.

"I am now in a loving relationship where I am looking forward and excited to welcoming my first born. I’m hopeful my ex can move on and find peace as I have.”

Perry's girlfriend and cornerman, Latory Gonzalez, revealed she was pregnant with a boy in a gender reveal ceremony with Perry on a beach the day before Nickerson promised to "be brave" about her experiences with the fighter.

"What happened is not OK," she added, before promoting a counseling service on her Instagram profile and launching a new account as a "safe space for women". "It’s never acceptable. It’s still happening every day to others."

Nickerson posted a series of self-help style images on social media at around the same time as Perry made his statement, cryptically declaring that "some people are really f*cked up and it's not our job to heal them."

Another graphic she published read: "Don't be ashamed of your story. It will inspire others."

"There have been some things heavy on my heart for a while," she added in a post. "I have had to learn extreme patience during this entire process."

Perry is scheduled to face Robbie Lawler at UFC 255 in November, ending a controversial year that reached a low point when he was filmed punching an elderly man to the floor in an angry altercation in a Texas restaurant in front of a shocked-looking Gonzalez.

Revisiting the scandal earlier this month, he explained: "When I got into that incident at the bar in Texas there were a couple reasons I kept calling those white men the n-word.

"They had been calling the black waiter in the restaurant that night the hard R word [retard] among each other at the table like the cowards they are.

"I figured that racist Texas white men would take it as very disrespectful to be called a word they use secretly with such hate.

"I use my free speech to try to get people to touch me because if you touch me I will defend myself.

"I have nothing better to do. I tweet and wait to fight. I show up every time.

"You all just tweet and tweet. No conviction or consequences. I don’t want to be liked.

"Actually, the only people I’m cool with are the ones who talk sh*t to my face. Me and my friends are really mean to each other."