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Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson is on the cusp of making his return to combat sports, and because the fight machine is powered by the blood of its athletes, promoters from every corner of combat sports are lining up with their checkbooks.
Including bareknuckle boss David Feldman.
But don’t expect Feldman, the brains behind Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), to pursue Tito Ortiz as a potential opponent. Especially not when he can call on the master of violence, Wanderlei Silva, for a special “Iron Mike” meetup later this year.
“I don’t know that it really draws,” Feldman told MMA Fighting about the prospects of Tyson vs. Ortiz. “I think a Wanderlei Silva, someone of that nature. No matter how old Silva gets, he’s dangerous, and I think that would be an intriguing matchup. Something like that, but I don’t actually have anything in mind right now.”
As of this writing, Tyson has not been lured to the bareknuckle arena by Feldman’s $20 million offer. That’s because the 53 year-old pugilist has once chance to capitalize on the considerable hype surrounding his return and will look to entertain the highest bidder.
And the right opponent.
With Evander Holyfield and Shannon Briggs also on the cusp of their own respective comebacks, Tyson has his pick of the litter. But with the world still trying to figure out how to operate in the shadow of COVID-19, don’t expect to see anything finalized for the next few months.
Simply because no promoter with any sense would be willing to surrender a Tyson gate.