Boxing icon Mike Tyson has hijacked the headlines as of late following his long-anticipated return to boxing. ‘Iron’ Mike fought Roy Jones Jr. to a draw in an 8 round exhibition match and fans were truly giddy with excitement. Tyson made his comeback after 15 years on the shelf and it seems as though he’s here to stay.
Chiefly, fans have taken to social media and are reminiscing on the memories they treasured of the yesteryear legends. The late ’80s and ’90s were defined by the Mike Tyson era, and it’s easy to see why fans look at him so fondly. In many ways, it was heart-warming to see the 54-year-old legend look sharp despite not fighting since 2005.
Mike Tyson: A lifelong combatant
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The former heavyweight champion is a combat sports enthusiast through and through, and he shown his love for MMA. Mike Tyson has broken down several marquee UFC fighters’ stand-up game, and it’s clear he’s a student of combat. Moreover, a fan went back into the archive and drew out an iconic Mike Tyson moment.
Chiefly, Tyson appeared at the weigh-in for UFC 160 back in May 2013. The video grab shared by a Twitter user sees ‘Iron’ Mike getting hyped up for Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Abel Trujillo. The aforementioned lightweight had an intense stare down and Khabib pushed Trujillo back with force.
Look at Mike enjoying it lmaooo I love it pic.twitter.com/EywNRDMtqh
— Connoisseur of Combat (@ConOfCombat) November 29, 2020
Moreover, Mike Tyson’s excitement at seeing the seeds of combat being sprinkled on the ground gets any fight fan excited as well. What’s more, ‘The Eagle’ shares great regard for the boxing legend and the moment is very reflective from a fans’ perspective. Both Tyson and Nurmagomedov represent the pinnacle of their respective sports, and it brings the moment full circle.
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The fight itself saw Khabib Nurmagomedov thrash Abel Trujillo from pillar to post. The Dagestani mauler earned a record-breaking number of takedowns in a single fight with 21 off 27 attempts.
It would seem as though Mike Tyson was perceptive about Khabib’s greatness right from the get-go. Not to mention, his excitement for Khabib was well justified as ‘The Eagle’ would reach heights never seen before in MMA.