Boxing legend Mike Tyson has been a fan of MMA and combat sports for a long time. The former heavyweight champion can be seen at many UFC events supporting the fighters and being a great ambassador for the sport. Tyson has also developed a close friendship with UFC president Dana White, which will only increase his involvement with the company.
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Moreover, there are some fighters in the company that have caught Iron Mike’s eye. One of them is bantamweight contender and rising star Sean O’Malley who is making waves in the promotion. Malley was undefeated in his career before facing Chito Vera at UFC 252. However, he was handed his first ever loss in controversial fashion after the referee put an end to the fight because of an injury to O’Malley’s ankle.
This was not all, as ‘Sugar’ refused to acknowledge that he lost to Vera despite what the record showed. He claimed that he was mentally undefeated and the official record meant nothing to him. And now it looks like Tyson agrees with the UFC star as he supported O’Malley’s claim on his podcast.
Mike Tyson backs Sean O’Malley
In an episode of Hotboxin’ Tyson shared his thoughts on the Phoenix native and stated that he saw him lose a fight despite beating his opponent.
“I saw him lose a fight where he didn’t really lose. He broke his leg, he would’ve kicked this guy’s f****ng a**,” said Tyson. It looks like the rising star is highly regarded by Tyson, who certainly knows what he is talking about.
However, O’Malley will be put to the ultimate test of his career. He is now set to face off against former UFC Bantamweight champion Peter Yan on 23rd October at UFC 280. This is the toughest opponent of O’Malley’s career and his chance to get into title contention.
‘Sugar’ has been on a six-fight winning streak since his controversial loss and will look to make it 7 against Yan. The Russian fighter, on the other hand, will also look to get a shot at the title after losing to bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling earlier this year.
Do you think O’Malley’s loss should be counted in his record? Let us know in the comments.
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