Muhammad Ali admitted even in his prime there was one heavyweight he wouldn't beat

Muhammad Ali once admitted that he would lose to Mike Tyson if they ever fought, despite being recognized as the greatest of all-time.

Ali retired in 1981 after an incredible career, winning 56 of his 61 fights while coming up against some of the best to ever do it in what was considered the greatest era of heavyweight boxing. He had wins over Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton and Sonny Listen, doing so in incredible style not seen before in the heavyweight division.

And Ali left a huge impact away from the sport, opposing the Vietnam War and becoming arguably the most prominent figure alongside Martin Luther King Jr in the civil rights movement.

And while he would never have admitted that he'd lose to anybody during his career, Ali happily did so after retiring by stating that Tyson would beat him.

On The Arsenio Hall Show which Tyson and Ali both appeared on, the latter said: "I’m scared of him. He’s a real champ. [Tyson would have won], I was a dancing master. I was so fast. But you are that powerful and so fast, if you hit me [then I hit the canvas].”

This also backed up what Foreman once claimed that Ali told him. In a book written on Ali's life, Foreman was quoted as stating: "Muhammad Ali told me himself. I said to him, 'Do you think Tyson could beat anybody? He said, "Man, Tyson hits so hard.

"He felt Tyson hit harder than anyone he'd faced. He told me once that he didn't have the confidence he could have beaten Mike Tyson."

The legendary heavyweights had met on several occasions

The late Ali retired four years before Tyson made his professional debut back in 1985, going on to build an incredible legacy himself. Tyson would dominate the heavyweight division, making the majority of his fights look easy with his incredible power and speed, due to his shorter size at the weight class.

Tyson retired with a 5-6 record, before coming out of retirement 19 years later in a much-maligned bout, where he fought at the age of 58 against 27-year-old Jake Paul, who went on to win on a points decision in eight rounds.

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