Mike Tyson has reportedly been offered the chance to return to the boxing ring once again, this time potentially facing one of the most celebrated fighters in mixed martial arts history.
The iconic heavyweight boxing champion, known as `Iron Mike`, previously made a high-profile comeback last November for an exhibition bout against Jake Paul. That unconventional fight garnered significant attention, attracting over 100 million viewers on Netflix. However, Tyson`s performance seemed hampered, partly due to the fight being postponed past his 58th birthday because of various health concerns.
Now, a new opportunity has emerged from the head of Kazakhstan’s Alash Pride League. The proposal is for Tyson to face a legendary heavyweight from the MMA world – a fighter whom prominent commentator Joe Rogan has praised as arguably the greatest of all time, despite his career not including fights in the UFC.
Fedor Emelianenko Proposed as Mike Tyson`s Next Opponent
Despite the challenging nature of his recent fight with Jake Paul, there`s still considerable public interest in seeing Mike Tyson compete again. He remains one of the most popular figures in combat sports history, captivating fans even as he nears 60 years old.
The Kazakh promotion, Alash Pride FC, is reportedly working to match Tyson with the legendary MMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. The promotion`s leadership has even mentioned a target date for an event that would feature this potential dream matchup as the main attraction.
Alimzhan Bektaev, President of Alash Pride, confirmed the plans to the press recently: “We are planning a bout between Mike Tyson and Fedor Emelianenko. Work in this direction is already underway… The tournament, where we want to invite Mike Tyson, is scheduled for December.”
Emelianenko Previously Showed Interest in Facing Tyson
When Tyson first returned to the ring for a COVID-era exhibition against Roy Jones Jr., Fedor Emelianenko was among the keen observers. That fight generated significant pay-per-view numbers (1.8 million) and sparked discussions about various potential future matchups for Tyson, including an early consideration for a fight against Emelianenko himself.
Speaking on The MMA Hour in 2023, Emelianenko commented on the potential of facing Tyson when asked by host Ariel Helwani: “We watched the fight on TV of Roy Jones Jr. vs. Mike Tyson. Mike Tyson would be an interesting fight. He has a big name, he`s a legend… It would be interesting because you can see a lot of his videos on YouTube and all over the place, he`s still in good shape. He still works pads, he still has that same power.”
Gareth Pendleton