Mike Tyson might reenter ring to battle MMA’s Emelianenko

Boxing legend Mike Tyson could be returning to the ring to fight former Russian mixed martial artist Fedor Emelianenko this year in Saudi Arabia.

Fighting sports news account MMA Pack reported the possible fight in an Instagram post Tuesday, writing that “negotiations are underway and targeted for later this year in Saudi Arabia.”

Emelianenko, 47, who retired from mixed martial arts after losing a challenge for the Bellator heavyweight title in February 2023, has brought up the idea of fighting Tyson before.

“MMA is done, 100 percent. I want to try myself in boxing. I think that’s going to be interesting. … Mike Tyson would be an interesting fight. … It would be interesting because you can see a lot of his videos on YouTube and all over the place. He’s still in good shape. He still works pads, he still has that same power,” Emelianenko told the MMA Hour YouTube show in August 2023.

Tyson, 57, was a dominating heavyweight champion in the 1980s and last fought to a split draw in an exhibition match against fellow boxer Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020.