The former UFC heavyweight champion didn’t hesitate with his response when he was asked how he’d fare in a street fight with the boxing legend

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has confidently predicted he’d beat a prime Mike Tyson in a street fight.

Ngannou, 38, established himself as one of the most feared fighters in the history of the UFC during his time with the organisation. After signing with the promotion in 2015, ‘The Predator’ then became accustomed to punching his opponent’s lights out in devastating fashion and holds brutal knockout wins over the likes of Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alistair Overeem.

The Cameroonian has such a natural raw power, that he even once registered a punching power of 129,161 units on a PowerKube, which was the hardest punch ever recorded. After winning the heavyweight belt in 2021, the 38-year-old defended the title once against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in 2022 before leaving the promotion to sign with PFL. However, his official debut for the organisation was delayed after he decided to step foot into the world of boxing. ‘The Predator’ first went toe-to-toe with Tyson Fury last year, losing a razor-thin split-decision. He returned to the ring earlier this year, but suffered a devastating knockout defeat by Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia.

As for Tyson, who has a professional boxing record of 50-6-2, the legendary boxer will go down as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport. During the peak of his powers, ‘Iron Mike’ defeated the likes of Frank Bruno, Michael Spinks, Larry Holmes and Marvis Frazier. Like Ngannou, the 58-year-old is regarded as one of the hardest-hitting punchers in the sports history.

While the pair fought in different eras, there may be a few fans out there who wonder how a fight between ‘Prime Ngannou’ and ‘Prime Tyson’ would go down. Well, in an interview with Piers Morgan, ‘The Predator’ was quizzed on who he’d think would win in a fight between him and ‘Iron Mike.’

When asked if he’d beat a peak Tyson, Ngannou said: “If it’s not boxing, I think he’s going to have a hard time, but if it’s in boxing, then I’m going to have a hard time.” The Cameroonian chuckled before he was asked the same question again, but in a street fight with no rules, to which he replied: “Oh, no, he’s having a hard time.” Morgan was left in stitches by his answer and said: “I wish I could say that about fighting Mike Tyson in the street.”

Despite the amusing answers, Ngannou was very complimentary of the boxing icon. The 38-year-old famously recruited ‘Iron Mike’ to help him train for the Fury fight and the boxing legend’s services paid off as the former UFC star put his rival down to only lose by a single point in a controversial decision. When Morgan asked the heavyweight sensation who the greatest fighter from any discipline he’s ever seen, he replied: “I grew up idolising Mike Tyson. So, if you’d ask me, I’d say Mike Tyson.”

For Ngannou, attention now turns to his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira later this month. The event will mark the promotion’s fifth visit to Riyadh and first since PFL MENA 3 earlier this summer. At 6-foot-8, Ngannou’s opponent is widely regarded as the most feared heavyweight in the organisation.

His upcoming opponent defeated Ryan Bader in the first-round to win the “PFL Champion vs Bellator Champion” Super Belt in February. Ferreira made a name for himself having won the 2023 PFL Heavyweight Tournament with a stunning second-round knockout win against Denis Goltsov in the final.