Mike Tyson, a True Fan of MMA

Boxing legend and now budding-actor, Mike Tyson joined the Gridlock on ESPN Radio in Las Vegas, Nev., yesterday afternoon.

While hot topics such as football, Mel Gibson crazy rantings, where you can find the best looking women, “Iron” Mike was able to squeeze in some praise for the MMA community, including James Toney inception into the UFC against legend Randy Couture, and the beast that is Brock Lesnar.

“My favorite guy has got to be Fedor (Emelianenko)”, said Tyson while sitting down with the Gridlock crew.

When asked in regards to the current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, Tyson had much praise for the former WWE superstar turned mixed martial artist, in regards to his last fight with previously undefeated heavyweight sensation, Shane Carwin.

“Brock Lesnar is very exciting. Very exciting fighter”, said the former boxing champion.

“You have to account now, that he has a great sense of fortitude, from what happen in his last fight (with Shane Carwin), so you can never count him out now. Because now you know, his pain threshold is off the roof now. He’s big, he’s powerful, fast, and he can handle pain as well as he can dish it. So it’s going to be tough to beat him.”

When asked in regards to his former colleague in Jame Toney, if he can make an immediate impact in the sport, let alone have a chance against UFC hall of famer Randy Couture, Tyson had this to say.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen James Toney fight in MMA.”

When told it would be his first fight ever in MMA, Tyson was not so optimistic, at first.

“Oh man. It could be detrimental to him. But then again, I’ve seen Randy (Couture) get knocked out by boxers like Chuck Liddell. (Chuck Liddell) is a boxer-fighter, (he) base’s his fights on punches”.

Mike acknowledges that Toney has a puncher’s chance, but only a puncher’s chance, much like what is the universal opinion on the matchup.

While his wild escapades and long hard journey have now found Tyson living out of Las Vegas, it’s nice to know that a now more grounded Tyson can still enjoy combat sports on some level, even if we may never see him lace up the gloves every again.