Mixed martial arts veteran and ONE Championship athlete Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort was recently spotted with boxing icon “Iron” Mike Tyson over the weekend at an All Elite Wrestling (AEW) event.
The two legends attended the Double Or Nothing pay-per-view show last Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida, and were both instantly blown away by the action they witnessed from their ringside seats.
Belfort was excited enough to envision himself stepping into the squared circle alongside boxing’s former heavyweight world champion.
“I think AEW should have Mike [Tyson] and myself do a tag team match against two of their champions,” said Belfort.
“Tony [Khan], the owner of AEW is a good friend of mine. That for me is a great idea and I’m open to it.”
Tyson himself is no stranger to partaking in the theatrics of pro wrestling. The 53-year-old has appeared occasionally for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) over the years, and was even inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2012.
“It will be the two youngest champions of combat sports against the two youngest champions of AEW,” Belfort lobbied his idea of a crossover match.
Tyson made headlines over the past couple of weeks when he announced his impending return to competition by posting a series of videos of himself in training.
Despite not having competed professionally since a 2005 stoppage loss to Kevin McBride, Tyson appeared to be serious about making a comeback to the ring, as he showed off his incredible physique. Tyson has since declared his intent to participate in a series of exhibition bouts for charity.
Belfort, himself a battle-proven veteran in the cage, feels Tyson is now on a unique journey of self-discovery, and has offered his advice to the boxing superstar.
“I think that (to fight again) is a decision Mike [Tyson] has made for himself. It takes a lot of courage to step back in the ring, especially at that age. I admire him for his bravery and wish him the best of luck,” said Belfort.
“He needs to train smart, because what used to work for him before might not work for him now. This is new ground he’s discovering for himself, and it’s a wonderful journey.”
Belfort Still Competing With ONE
At 43 years of age, Belfort is also on his own journey of sorts. The former UFC middleweight is going through a career revival with Singapore-based martial arts organization, ONE Championship.
Belfort signed with ONE in 2019, and is in the process of ironing out details of his first bout with the promotion, likely against Cameroonian powerhouse Alain “The Panther” Ngalani later this year.
Being in a similar situation that Tyson now finds himself in, Belfort feels the right opponent will bring back “The Baddest Man on the Planet.”
“He (Tyson) needs to make smart choices,” Belfort offered his opinion.
“The right opponent is key. He needs an opponent that will bring value to the market, and not just an opponent that will try to make some money.”
Tyson’s comeback has yet to be finalized. However, possible opponents include fellow boxing veteran Shannon Briggs, UFC legend Tito Ortiz, and former heavyweight rival Evander Holyfield.
More About:Sports
Read This Next
