Mark Hunt v Mike Tyson: MMA legend in shock talks to fight boxing GOAT
The baddest man on the planet could be about to step into the ring once more. See full details on the ‘dream’ fight between MMA legend Mark Hunt and boxing icon Mike Tyson.
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MMA legend Mark Hunt has been linked to a shock boxing match with Mike Tyson in Saudi Arabia in what the ‘Super Samoan’ says would be the “dream” way to end his storied career.
Rumours leaked on Wednesday via From the Stands that Hunt’s management has been in talks with Saudi Arabian boxing officials about staging an eight-round fight in December.
The Sydney-based slugger – who most recently knocked out Sonny Bill Williams in November 2022 – told CODE Sports he’d love to have three fights with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), before finishing his career with a boxing match.
And what better way to go out than by taking on the Baddest Man on the Planet?
“It could all be coming to fruition,” Hunt, 49, told CODE Sports.
“And, geez, at this age? It’s crazy.
“I grew up watching Tyson. I was a big fan, and I’m still a big fan. Imagine that – three Bare Knuckle fights, then finishing the career off fighting Mike Tyson.
“Far out, that would be a dream come true.”
Hunt said his manager has been in discussions about the fight going ahead, but that talks are in the very early stages.
A pioneer of mixed martial arts throughout the Pacific, Hunt has fought in Pride, K1 and the UFC across a 25-year fighting career.
He fought a who’s who in the UFC, including an interim heavyweight title bout against Brazilian legend Fabricio Werdum in 2014.
He became globally famous with a string of customary “one-punch” knockouts, including wins over Stefan Struve and Frank Mir, while his five-round main event epic against Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva in Brisbane in 2013 is considered one of the bloodiest bouts ever.
Hunt parted ways with the UFC in 2018 and has since taken the company to court after numerous past opponents tested positive to using performance enhancing drugs.
Hunt says his court costs is the main reason he’s still fighting.
“I’ve gotta pay for this lawsuit,” he said.
“That’s the only reason I’m fighting into my 50s, to pay for this. It’s expensive.”
In his first boxing match after leaving the UFC, Hunt fell to a surprise decision defeat to on a Tim Tszyu undercard in December 2020.
He bounced back two years later with a vintage fourth-round knockout of SBW, and has been campaigning in recent weeks for a string of BKFC fights.
Tyson meanwhile is the former king of heavyweight boxing, holding world titles from 1986 until his 1990 KO loss to James Douglas in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
He hasn’t fought professionally since 2005 though, ending his career with back-to-back losses.
‘Kid Dynamite’ was trained by Aussie boxing royalty, Jeff Fenech, for his last professional win – a first round knockout of Clifford Etienne in 2004 – but most recently fought an exhibition match against fellow retired great, Roy Jones Jr in 2020.
The pair fought to a draw over eight rounds, and Tyson later claimed he’d been on magic mushrooms.
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Originally published as Mark Hunt v Mike Tyson: MMA legend in shock talks to fight boxing GOAT
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