‘He Had Accepted but…’ – Mike Tyson Was Set for Sensational UFC Debut in the 90s Only if It Wasn’t for His ‘Lawyers’

Published 08/11/2022, 12:00 PM EDT

During the late 1980s and early 90s, Mike Tyson was considered to be the most brutal boxer in the world. The former heavyweight champion was tearing through his competition, often ending fights within the first few rounds. This led many fans to consider whether anyone could ever beat Iron Mike.

Naturally, many people speculated on how he would fare against other fighters from different spots. Moreover, MMA was taking over fight culture in the US during this time, led by Royce Gracie. The UFC icon was challenging the best fighters from all over the world to beat him in a ‘no-holds-barred fight. Notably, he even fought three times in a single night and won all three of them. The desire for Gracie to prove the superiority of his martial art was immense. So it was no surprise when he supposedly challenged the Baddest Man On The Planet to a fight.

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The time Royce Gracie almost fought Mike Tyson

According to a memoir by sports writer Fiaz Rafiq’ To The Top: Enter the Octagon, the Ring and Entertainment, Tyson was supposedly challenged by Royce Gracie in the early 1990s.

“The UFC champion’s perception was that Tyson was the best boxer in the world, but he refused to accept that Tyson was the best ‘fighter’” He wrote. Moreover, according to him, the Gracies did have a legitimate argument as they were taking on and beating all opponents in the UFC. He also claimed that Gracie would not be satisfied until he fought Tyson even if it meant provoking him. However, Tyson rejected his proposal.

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A few years later Gracie made another proposal to take on Tyson, but it never came to fruition as Gracie claimed that Tyson’s lawyers and promoters prevented this fight to protect Tyson’s reputation even though he was interested. ‘He had accepted but people around him the lawyers, managers, and the Commission, said no way because boxing had too much to lose. But he had accepted, and he wanted to do it. I talked to him before and he’s like, ‘I’d love to try this stuff out, man.” Gracie told Rafiq.

A fight between these two legends would have been great to watch, however, it was not meant to be as the stars didn’t align to make this mega-fight happen.

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Who do you think would have won this fight? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Sahil Sood is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication, and holds a keen interest in the 'sweet science'. His journey towards following boxing began when he first saw the highlights of Mike Tyson as a teenager, and then closely followed the rise of Floyd Mayweather.

Edited by:

Ajinkya Aswale

‘He Had Accepted but…’ – Mike Tyson Was Set for Sensational UFC Debut in the 90s Only if It Wasn’t for His ‘Lawyers’

The time Royce Gracie almost fought Mike Tyson

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