Dana White: Ronda Rousey (not Conor McGregor) was UFC’s version of Mike Tyson

Ever since mixed martial arts (MMA) exploded onto the mainstream scene, the combat community has waited on pins and needles to see a Mike Tyson-like talent show up inside the cage. And according to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White, that fighter has already come … and gone.

During a recent interview on “Bite The Mic” (via MMA Junkie) with Tyson himself, the outspoken president revealed that former women’s Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was MMA’s version of “Iron Mike.”

“Our Tyson was Ronda (Rousey), man. Ronda had this aura of invincibility that we’ve never seen before. That’s why everyone was calling Ronda our Mike Tyson because she was the most dominant athlete on the planet. Conor (McGregor) is different. Conor is completely different than a Tyson – his verbal game, his picking the round.”

Perhaps “Notorious” is more of a Muhammad Ali-type of fighter.

Like Tyson, though, Rousey eventually showed that she wasn’t invincible, getting knocked out by Holly Holm at UFC 193 in an upset heard around the world that mirrored that of Tyson’s loss to Buster Douglas in 1990.

For what it’s worth, Rousey has never participated in a sanctioned professional boxing fight, something McGregor will be able to add to his ever-impressive resume in a couple of weeks.

While no one can deny “Rowdy’s” impact on women’s MMA, and the sport in general, do you think the former champion and world-class judoka is the sport’s version of Tyson? If not her, then who?

Ever since mixed martial arts (MMA) exploded onto the mainstream scene, the combat community has waited on pins and needles to see a Mike Tyson-like talent show up inside the cage. And according to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White, that fighter has already come … and gone.

During a recent interview on “Bite The Mic” (via MMA Junkie) with Tyson himself, the outspoken president revealed that former women’s Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was MMA’s version of “Iron Mike.”

“Our Tyson was Ronda (Rousey), man. Ronda had this aura of invincibility that we’ve never seen before. That’s why everyone was calling Ronda our Mike Tyson because she was the most dominant athlete on the planet. Conor (McGregor) is different. Conor is completely different than a Tyson – his verbal game, his picking the round.”

Perhaps “Notorious” is more of a Muhammad Ali-type of fighter.

Like Tyson, though, Rousey eventually showed that she wasn’t invincible, getting knocked out by Holly Holm at UFC 193 in an upset heard around the world that mirrored that of Tyson’s loss to Buster Douglas in 1990.

For what it’s worth, Rousey has never participated in a sanctioned professional boxing fight, something McGregor will be able to add to his ever-impressive resume in a couple of weeks.

While no one can deny “Rowdy’s” impact on women’s MMA, and the sport in general, do you think the former champion and world-class judoka is the sport’s version of Tyson? If not her, then who?