Not Conor McGregor, Not Israel Adesanya: Mike Tyson Says This Fighter Can Sell PPVs With Anybody

Mike Tyson has etched his name as one of the faces of boxing. Even though the former heavyweight champion has retired from the sport, there are many larger-than-life combatants currently who draw attention from the masses. In a recent episode of, Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson, the former boxer sat down with Kamaru Usman, the former UFC welterweight champion.

The episode lasted for around an hour and amongst many things, the two discussed Usman’s career in the sport, hailing from Nigeria, and not expecting to fight in MMA anymore. Amidst their conversation, Tyson and Usman discussed the importance of having the right “dance partner” to sell the tickets in combat sports. Tyson also mentioned that who in his eyes, can be the right dance partner for anybody.

Who did Mike Tyson pick as a “dance partner for everybody?”

Usman may not be the champion anymore but he is still one of the best fighters in the welterweight division. Not to mention, during his reign, the former champion had many iconic bouts with belligerent rivalries; One such rivalry was against welterweight fighter, Colby Covington. The two fought 2 times and Usman was the victor in both but the bouts were competitive.

Not to mention, the lead-up was highly entertaining which played a big factor in making big PPV numbers. Covington is a notorious personality in the sport; he plays the heel to garner attention and has managed to be one of the biggest names in the sport of MMA.

The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ discussed the importance of having the right “dance partner”, inferring an opponent who has the ability to generate interest from the public to watch fights. He stated, “I would dominate guys and win but you know it’s guys like oh this and that but then you get the right dance partner which for me was Colby Covington.”

Tyson was in agreement with Usman. In fact, the former heavyweight champion even went on to claim that Covington is the right dance partner for anyone as he plays the heel. Tyson responded, “He is the right dance partner for anybody. Everybody want to see his ass kicked.” Usman was also in agreement and he stated, “Yea he is. Exactly”

Read More: “Nobody Got a Chain on Me”: Mike Tyson Comes Clean on Why He Went Broke