“I heard him say yes but,” BJJ legend Royce Gracie spills the beans on Mike Tyson nearly fighting at UFC 1

Hall of Famer Royce Gracie confirms that Mike Tyson had been tapped for UFC 1, but it did not come to fruition.

“I heard him say yes but,” BJJ legend Royce Gracie spills the beans on Mike Tyson nearly fighting at UFC 1

Mike Tyson (Source: IMAGO)

For the first time since sharing the octagon in November 1993, a multitude of fighters recently met up again. Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Gerard Gordeau, Taylor Wily, Zane Frazier, and Art Jimmerson reunited and reminisced about the old days. Gracie also addressed rumors that Mike Tyson was among the fighters to fight for UFC 1 in 1993. This meetup was the “The Legends of UFC 1 | Fighters of the Roundtable,” hosted by the promotion itself.

The inaugural UFC event featured specialists in their form of combat participating in a one-night, no-holds-barred tournament to see which style was best. In the recent UFC 1 reunion panel on the promotion’s YouTube channel, Gracie confirmed that “Iron” was to compete in the tournament. He said:

I heard him say yes, but the people around him said no...That's what I heard...
YouTube video

Fellow tournament competitor Frazier weighed in. He noted that he had expressed interest in fighting the former heavyweight boxing champion first. Frazier mentioned that he thought Tyson’s participation in UFC 1 would have hugely legitimized it back then. He chimed in and said:

FS Video
That was the only guy [Mike Tyson] I said, 'I want that guy, man.' Because then I would be able to say now we got all the real tough guys here.

It would have been interesting to see how Tyson would have fared if he had taken part in UFC 1. Gracie was an optimal grappler and submissions expert, and a match between the two would have been interesting.

Mike Tyson opens new boxing gym in Riyadh

Mike Tyson is undoubtedly one of the best boxers to ever step into the ring if not the absolute best. More recently, Iron Mike has proved himself to be a capable trainer as well. He trained Francis Ngannou for his fight with Tyson Fury.

However, even before the fight took place last month, news of the first-ever Mike Tyson Gym was brought to light. With lineal boxing champion Fury defeating Ngannou, the boxing gym saw its inception, a day later.

Mike Tyson opens up new boxing gym in Riyadh
Mike Tyson opens up new boxing gym in Riyadh (Source: IMAGO/Twitter)

The first ever Mike Tyson boxing and striking gym opened up in Riyadh. It will go down as one of the world’s most high-tech boxing facilities. It will be home to both professional boxers and aspiring boxers who are ready to hone their skills in the ring.

These boxers will be able to enjoy top-of-the-line equipment, multiple rings, and an array of facilities that will help them to hone their skills.

Recent tour videos of the facility had surfaced. The video shows the state-of-the-art equipment present. The walls are also lined with memorabilia and old pictures of Tyson, along with other fighters over the years.

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