A current social media submit sparked a heated debate amongst fight sports activities followers, claiming former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier would defeat boxing legend Mike Tyson in a hypothetical road struggle. The submit included an alleged quote from Cormier, suggesting he would prevail over Tyson in such a situation. This daring declare shortly ignited discussions, with followers and even notable figures like grappling phenom Gordon Ryan weighing in.
UFC light-weight fighter Chase Hooper additionally entered the fray, sharing his perspective on the matchup. Hooper reposted an announcement from person @DovySimuMMA, who asserted that Cormier would defeat “99.9% of the world’s inhabitants in a road struggle.”
Agreeing with the sentiment, Hooper added his ideas, stating, “The those that assume that Mike would beat DC in a road struggle are the identical ones who thought he’d outbox Jake Paul at 58 years previous. Now DC may lose an ear, however one takedown and it is over.” Hooper’s remark highlighted the numerous benefit Cormier’s wrestling and grappling abilities would offer in a no-rules situation.
Whereas acknowledging Tyson’s legendary placing means, Hooper emphasised that Cormier’s grappling experience would doubtless finish the hypothetical struggle shortly. He additionally took a playful jab at Tyson supporters, suggesting they could be overly nostalgic concerning the boxer’s dominance in his prime. Nonetheless, Hooper additionally conceded that Tyson might have been a power in combined martial arts beneath completely different circumstances.
Revisiting the Cormier-Tyson road struggle debate
Reflecting on Tyson’s profession, Hooper famous that monetary concerns doubtless saved the previous heavyweight boxing champion from exploring MMA throughout its early days. “He’d be the undisputed GOAT if he hopped into UFC within the 90s or 2000s,” Hooper wrote, including, “However the cash wasn’t there on the time to be almost convincing sufficient.” Within the Nineteen Nineties, UFC was nonetheless gaining traction, whereas Tyson was a worldwide famous person promoting out arenas alongside figures like Don King and Donald Trump.
Hooper additional argued that Tyson’s placing prowess would have been unmatched within the UFC throughout its youth. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that right this moment’s fighters are way more well-rounded, excelling in areas like grappling and wrestling. “Present divisions have much more well-rounded fighters that I believe would give him bother within the different 2/3rds of the game that is not placing,” Hooper defined. Whereas Tyson’s energy stays legendary, MMA’s evolution presents challenges past pure placing means.