Mike Tyson gets brutally honest about why he wouldn't have competed in the UFC in his prime

Mike Tyson recently shared his thoughts on whether he'd step into the cage as a UFC fighter during his prime as a boxer. The legendary pugilist made it clear that he'd prefer sticking to boxing and outlined one simple reason for that.

Tyson is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time and is easily among the most well-known sports personalities in the world. With an incredible professional record of 50-7 with two no-contests, it's no surprise that many have wondered how the legendary heavyweight boxer would fare in MMA.

During a recent interview with iconic rapper Fat Joe at an event, Tyson was asked if he'd have fought for the UFC in his prime. 'Iron Mike' strongly dismissed the possibility of that happening due to the UFC's pay structure and said:

"Listen, five of the biggest UFC fighters combined couldn't match my pay... I wanted to be the biggest fighter, the biggest purse, I want all that stuff. When Mike Tyson fights, he shuts everything down."

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Daniel Cormier on upcoming Mike Tyson vs. Floyd Mayweather fight

Daniel Cormier recently shared his thoughts on Mike Tyson reportedly fighting Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition fight next year. Given the size difference between the two boxing icons, fans have been very critical of the matchup.

In a YouTube video, Cormier addressed the Tyson-Mayweather matchup and referred to Tyson's exhibition match against Roy Jones, saying:

"My biggest question, always, around these things, is how do guys explain [this] to the general public? It’s not going to be an actual fight; it’s going to be an exhibition. So how much in that exhibition are we supposed to believe that they’re actually fighting?... Because when Mike fought Roy Jones, it was something I always would’ve been interested in. But when the fight happened, it felt too much like [Mike] wasn’t trying to hurt [Roy]."

He continued:

"When I watch fights, I want to see people trying to hurt each other; it’s what we sign up for. People love seeing people get f**ked up... I don’t know if those guys can promise violence… we’ve already seen Floyd do this with Logan Paul, doing these exhibitions... One thing I know we won’t see is Mike starch Floyd."

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Nishant brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his MMA reporting for Sportskeeda. During his 1.5 years with the organization and previous work, Nishant has established himself as a prolific writer in the MMA community. With a Bachelor's degree in Media and Journalism and a Master's degree in International Relations, Nishant's educational background enhances his analytical and reporting skills.

Nishant admires UFC legend Georges St-Pierre for his dominance and exemplary conduct inside and outside the cage. The monumental UFC 229 event, headlined by a grudge match between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, captivated Nishant and solidified his passion for MMA.

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Nishant feels that it is only a matter of time that MMA takes over Boxing as the no.1 combat sport. Beyond MMA, his interests include philosophy, music exploration, and wildlife photography.

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Edited by Nishant Zende.