UFC legend Chuck Liddell broke down how a street fight between him and Mike Tyson would play out
Chuck Liddell once revealed how he thinks a street fight between him and Mike Tyson would play out.
The boxing legend is currently preparing to end his 20-year retirement to take on Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Texas on November 15.
A fight between Tyson and Paul, who is 31 years his junior, wasn’t on the cards until they came together for a shock announcement earlier this year.
‘The Iceman’ seemed like a more realistic opponent after his previous comments about the heavyweight icon.
Chuck Liddell says he’d beat Mike Tyson in a street fight
In November 2019, Chuck Liddell sparked a debate among fans when he claimed Mike Tyson would stand almost no chance against him in a street fight, even though he’s one of the most prolific knockout artists of all time.
“My grampa said, when I was 19 years old, ‘Hey, you know that Mike Tyson guy? I know you can beat him,’” Liddell revealed on Ed Mylett’s podcast.
“To me, it’s funny because nowadays it’s nice to see that’s a serious question, ‘Who would win in a street fight, you or Mike?
“I’d make it real simple. Boxing, Mike. MMA, me. In MMA he’s got one shot on the way in, once I get in it’s over.
“In a street fight, I win. I mean, he’s got a puncher’s chance. He’s got a chance to catch me coming in. But other than that, it’s over.”
Chuck Liddell doubles down on his prediction
The UFC legend got some flack for what some people viewed as a disrespectful take on Tyson, but he defended his prediction in subsequent social media posts.
Liddell insisted he’s a big fan of ‘Iron Mike’ and broke down why he thinks a street fight between them would almost certainly go his way.
He tweeted: “Look 1) I’m talking about when we were fighting 2) I’d take him down so he’d have one shot on my way in 3) I’m a big fan of mike and have no desire to fight him. But hypothetically speaking, when we were fighting, yes I would’ve beat him!” Liddell wrote.
“I remember Tyson and I’m a huge fan of his but I’m not sure why biting Holyfield’s ear off makes him a better street fighter or better at stopping takedowns?”
“He won’t get three minutes I’d shoot right away. He had no ground training or takedown defense training at all. So he’d have to catch me on the way in or he’d never get off the ground period!”
Chuck Liddell backs Mike Tyson to beat Jake Paul
Several years later, Liddell has recently proven how highly he rates Tyson by publicly backing him to emerge victorious as an underdog against Paul.
The 54-year-old believes the rule changes that will see Paul and Tyson fight for eight, two-minute rounds and wear 14oz gloves, as opposed to 10oz gloves professional boxers typically use, will benefit the former undisputed heavyweight champion.
“Is it a real fight? I don’t know,” Liddell said on the JAXXON podcast.
“If it’s a real fight, that’s a dangerous fight. Mike still hits hard. It’s the last thing you lose, and Paul is kind of a get-in-there-and-exchange guy. It doesn’t seem like he’s outpointing you, he likes to get in there and bang a little.
“It’s eight, two-minute rounds. It’s a sprint, but I think it plays better for your age than a three-minute round. You get a break.”
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