Mike Tyson is coming off a lopsided loss against Jake Paul in November last year. Despite his lackluster performance, the fight was a huge success, breaking viewership records in the sport’s history. Now, rumors are abuzz about his potential return to the ring against former Russian mixed martial artist Fedor Emelianenko.

The 58-year-old walked away with a reported $20 million paycheck for his efforts in the Paul fight and refused to hang up his gloves in the immediate aftermath. This seems to have prompted Kazakh combat sports promotion Alash Pride League (APL) to approach the soon-to-be 59-year-old for another fight against 48-year-old Emelianenko. Want to know more? 

Mike Tyson vs. Fedor Emelianenko: Date and Location

APL President Alimzhan Bektaev addressed the media this week in Astana, Kazakhstan. “We are planning a bout between Mike Tyson and Fedor Emelianenko,” he said. “Work in this direction is already underway… The tournament, where we want to invite Mike Tyson, is scheduled for December.” It’s worth noting that APL didn’t specify whether the cross-over fight would follow boxing or MMA ruleset. However, it will most likely be boxing. 

It’s yet to be seen whether Tyson would entertain such a fight, with Emelianenko already having expressed interest in the bout previously. After losing to Ryan Bader in February 2023, the 48-year-old announced his retirement from the sport. However, during an appearance on the Ariel Helwani show in August of the same year, he made his intentions clear about trying his hand in boxing, especially against Tyson.

“MMA is done 100 per cent, I am not going to go back to MMA,” Emelianenko told Helwani. “I want to try my hand at boxing, I think it will be interesting… I watched the fight between Roy Jones and Mike Tyson, I would like to fight him. He has a big name, and he is a legend.” Despite this interest in the fight, it never materialized. However, the bigger question to consider is, should Mike Tyson take the fight? 

Mike Tyson made a worrying confession after the Jake Paul fight

The fight marked his return to the ring professionally after nearly two decades of retirement. Two months after the Jake Paul fight, Mike Tyson made a concerning revelation, admitting he didn’t fully recover from the bout. “I remember coming back from the first round, and Jake is doing some kind of… I don’t know what he was doing,” Tyson said, leaning forward as he mimicked a bow.

“That’s the last thing I remember.” The fight had already raised alarms after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up on a plane before the original July date, forcing the bout to be delayed. Despite the loss, Tyson and Paul were later seen celebrating together at Donald Trump’s inauguration event, where a viral video showed Paul lifting Tyson on his shoulders as the two laughed in tuxedos.

That said, it appears that APL has approached Mike Tyson with a crossover fight offer, but he hasn’t accepted it quite yet. While it’s undeniable the allure to watch the master in action, Tyson’s bout against Jake Paul proved he should not be anywhere near a boxing ring. Do you agree?