Braves ace Chris Sale brings up Mike Tyson and UFC stars' chances in absurd gorilla standoff

With the 10 men vs gorilla question going viral on social media, Atlanta Braves star Chris Sale joined in to give his pick during his appearance on Friday's episode of the "On Base with Mookie Betts" podcast.

After he was asked about it, Sale admitted that this question was heavily discussed when the Braves were on the road trip from Denver after the April 30 clash against the Rockies. Apart from a gorilla, the players also ranked hypothetical battles against other animals like grizzly bears, lions, and even sharks.

Answering the question of gorilla vs 100 men, Sale said:

"I think if we got to handpick the people—yes. But if you just go pick like a hundred random people, I think it's just a conveyor belt of... just nothing."

Sale believes that 100 men would only have an advantage against a gorilla if they are fighters, leading to names like Khabib Nurmagomedov and another UFC star coming into the conversation.

"The way it was presented to me is like: we're in a room," Sale said. "So, if you're in a room without anything—like, it's just nothing. There's no tools. You gotta beat this dude. I think if you took like a hundred of the most skilled fighters on the planet—like, you go to the UFC, you get Khabib, you get all the big dogs, Jon Jones—and put them in a room..."

Sale even went on to say that Mike Tyson, in his prime, could probably take a gorilla head-on.

"And then I brought up the fact that Mike Tyson tried to fight a gorilla," Sale added. "He tried to pay somebody because he saw one of them messing around. I swear. And I was like, 'Dude, Mike Tyson in his prime might be able to go one-on-one.'"

Chris Sale off to a rough start following his Cy Young-winning year

Chris Sale was the best pitcher in the National League last season and won the 2024 NL Cy Young award. He started 29 games, going 18-3 with an ERA of 2.38 and a WHIP of 1.01.

However, this year, Sale has been anything but dominant. After seven starts, the lefty is 1-3, holding a 4.84 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. However, signs of improvement can be seen in his latest start against the Colorado Rockies, where he pitched seven innings for five hits, two earned runs and striking out 10.

Chris Sale's next start is scheduled at home against the Cincinnati Reds next week.