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Mike Tyson vs. Fedor Emelianenko is the latest bout between a boxer and MMA fighter to hit the rumor mill. The matchup pits two legends of their respective sports against each other, with Tyson being the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history and Emelianenko being regarded as an all-time great heavyweight.
Nothing has been confirmed, but the potential bout between both men could prove to be a crossover attraction that is rarely present in heavyweight combat sports. At first glance, most observers might predict a lopsided win in Tyson's favor due to his disproportionate edge in experience, skill, and knockout power.
That, however, was Tyson in his physical prime. Both men have surrendered to the demands of Father Time. So, if the matchup does indeed come to fruition, what would it look like?
Mike Tyson vs. Fedor Emelianenko: The technical battle
Mike Tyson is one of the most recognizable boxers of all time due to both his terrifying demeanor and seismic knockout power. However, it is often forgotten that there was a method to his madness. Tyson, at his core, was a genius inside the squared circle of boxing.
The Peek-a-boo style he used to great success was a complex and extremely demanding school of thought. As it required power punches driven from significant hip rotation and counterpunches from angles possible only for stance-switchers, Tyson was as capable from southpaw as he was from orthodox.
'Iron Mike's' aim was to use stance-switching and aggressive head movement to shift his way inside, where his short and stocky stature rendered him nearly invincible in pocket-boxing exchanges. His game revolved around pressure and cutting off his foe's angles of escape with sweeping power punches.
Check out Mike Tyson knocking out Larry Holmes in the clip below:
Tyson would bob and weave into an in-fighting position, where his short uppercuts and hooks enabled him to batter the body and head. Due to the amount of torque from his hip rotation, as well as his natural speed and punching power, he'd often knock his opponents out once inside.
Unfortunately, the Peek-a-boo style was terribly inefficient when it came to cardio. If Tyson could not overwhelm his foe early for the knockout, he often faded. His approach to boxing was heavily reliant on his athleticism and physicality, both of which fade with age, and Tyson is now 57 years old.
Furthermore, his style was designed to prey upon taller foes but could be countered by a sharp jab thrown by a cool-headed boxer who used it to dictate his range. So how does this match up against Fedor Emelianenko, who is a mere 6 feet tall and not the giants Tyson was built to slay?
Emelianenko was a Sambist by trade, so many of his techniques don't matter in boxing due to their illegality. However, what would matter significantly in a potential bout with Tyson is the clinch, and a recognizable aspect of 'The Last Emperor's' game was his preferred clinch entry.
The legendary Russian often led with his right hand (although he'd sometimes use his jab). To avoid being countered the closer he drew to his foe, he'd stumble into the clinch right after throwing his right-hand lead. In short, he smothered his opponent's punches, which would be pivotal against Tyson's counters.
Check out Fedor Emelianenko knocking out Brett Rogers in the clip below:
Emelianenko also faked his right-hand lead to then land his left hook as a follow-up after conditioning his opponent to his clinch entries. With his foe wary of losing the underhook battle, they'd drop their rear right hand to fight for underhooks, expecting Emelianenko to fall into the clinch as he often does.
Instead, he'd blast their chin on the open side with a left hook, taking advantage of the space left exposed by their lowered right hand. Some of his striking tools, like hand grips and kicks, can't be used in boxing, but his existing techniques would still serve him well against Tyson.
He can potentially survive the early onslaught by punching into the clinch, where his superior grappling could enable him to wear an older, less fit Tyson down, especially given how energy-intensive the latter's Peek-a-boo style is.
Mike Tyson vs. Fedor Emelianenko: X-factors and intangibles
Mike Tyson's next fight should not come to pass. As previously mentioned, 'Iron Miek' is 57. Despite his legendary accomplishments in the boxing ring, he is almost 60 years old, while Fedor Emelianenko is an entire decade younger at 47. Age would almost certainly play a factor in a potential bout.
Tyson's body can no longer keep up with the taxing demands of his Peek-a-boo style, especially if he can't score an early knockout against a savvy foe. Not only is age a factor, but so are fitness and ring/cage rust. Tyson has not competed professionally in any combat sport since 2005, when he retired from boxing.
Besides that, he had a lone exhibition in 2020 against fellow boxing icon Roy Jones Jr. Unfortunately, one fight in 19 years is more than suboptimal. 'Iron Mike' is unlikely to have the desired levels of fitness, timing, etc., that are only attainable from consistent competition and sparring.
While Tyson still hits the mitts and pads, he is not always in the gym training and sparring, especially not in the manner done to prepare oneself for an upcoming fight. Meanwhile, Emelianenko, in addition to being 10 years younger, will have no such issues with ring/cage rust.
'The Last Emperor' retired from MMA on Feb. 4, 2023, and had been competing at a fairly high level in Bellator, even challenging Ryan Bader for the promotion's heavyweight strap in his final bout. Emelianenko, inexperienced in boxing as he may be compared to Tyson, is only recently retired and a decade younger.
This could, and likely would, play a role in the event of a boxing match between the pair. A rumored fight, if it does indeed happen, would not favor Tyson like it would have had it taken place even 10 years ago. Now, a bout only offers 'The Last Emperor' a chance to conquer the boxing ring.
After all, Vitor Belfort did so against Evander Holyfield, a more experienced but vastly older boxer.
