Mike Tyson lost to Jake Paul back in November(Image: Al Bello/Getty Images)Mike Tyson has surprisingly been offered another comeback fight by Kazakh combat sports promotion, Alash Pride League. The 58-year-old boxing legend, who hung up his gloves in 2005 after a loss to Kevin McBride, shocked fans last year by stepping back into the ring against Jake Paul.
Despite hopes that 'Iron Mike' could roll back the years during their November bout, 'Iron' began to tire after the second round And although he was unable to score a knockout, Paul would go on to win on points at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
While Tyson has not expressed his desire to return to the boxing ring, Alash Pride League is tempting him with a winter event clash against MMA icon Fedor Emelianenko.
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APL President Alimzhan Bektaev announced in Astana, Kazakhstan: "We are planning a bout between Mike Tyson and Fedor Emelianenko." Bektaev added, "Work in this direction is already underway... The tournament, where we want to invite Mike Tyson, is scheduled for December."
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Emelianenko, 48, is widely-regarded as one of the best fighters in the history of MMA - despite never competing in the UFC. The Russian knockout artists, a former PRIDE heavyweight title holder and four-time combat sambo world champion, has defeated the likes of Mirko Cro Cop, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Coleman, and Andrei Arlovski during his illustrious MMA career.
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With a professional record of 40-7, Emelianenko retired from the sport in 2023 after a first-round TKO loss to Ryan Bader at Bellator 290. The APL did not specify which rule set they plan to use for the crossover clash. It's still uncertain whether Tyson would even entertain the idea.
Just over a month after the Paul bout, Tyson made a concerning confession, revealing he had not fully recovered from the controversial encounter with the 'Problem Child'. He told the New York Post: "I feel pretty good. I don't know if I'm 100 per cent recovered, but I feel good." In December, the boxing veteran confessed he couldn't recall much of the fight.
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"I don't remember the fight that much, I kind of blanked out," he shared with Fox Sports Radio. "I haven't watched the fight. You know what I remember... coming back from the first round and Jake was doing some sort of bow... that's the last thing I remember." He continued: "I wasn't tired, I wasn't sweaty. I went to the house we were staying in, I left the house with my wife and kids, went to the after-party then went back."
