Mike Tyson will forever be regarded as one of the most fearsome fighters in combat sports history and former UFC star, Rampage Jackson thinks he knows what made 'Iron Mike' so great.
When he became the youngest ever heavyweight champion in boxing history at just 20 years old, the combat sports world knew they had a superstar in Mike Tyson.
His extremely decorated career controversially ended at the end of last year when he booked to fight Jake Paul in a professional boxing fight.
Despite suffering a unanimous decision, the event proved to be one of the biggest ever, breaking modern viewership records after streaming live on Netflix.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty images for Netflix © 2024
Rampage Jackson reveals Mike Tyson's secret weapon
During his heyday, Tyson was relatively unstoppable due to his impenetrably ferocious fighting style and was therefore feared as a fighter.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion, Rampage Jackson believes he knows what Tyson's secret weapon was that made him so unstoppable.
“Remember when Mike Tyson was just an animal? Did you know the stuff Cus D'Amato told him in his ear? Jackson started explaining on the Jaxxon podcast.
Throughout the early days of his career, Tyson was mentored by Cus d'Amato, who became his legal guardian and subsequently the most important figure in the heavyweight's life.
“And that's the stuff that I think made Mike Tyson part of who he is. It's all about what you tell your hunter. Like telling him in his ear, 'Oh you the best, nobody f****** with you… you're super fast, you got the best punch', that's the kind of stuff you tell your friend flat before they fight.
“Because we're like a sponge, you give them all the positive things and just tell them, 'You're the best,'” Jackson continued.
Rampage Jackson had a similar situation in his career
While there is no MMA equivalent to Tyson, Jackson was always considered one of the most feared fighters in the UFC throughout his tenure.
The former UFC star explained that he had a similar situation in 2010 before his fight against Lyoto Machida.
“I remember training with Lance Gibson before my fight with Machida, he was like 'Rampage, you're going to be like Iron Man. I don't care what he does, I don't care what he kicks you with, hits you, you won't feel it'.
“And it was like hypnotized and I believed it and I went out and he was right. I didn't feel any of his kicks, I didn't feel anything,” Rampage continued.
Although Tyson hasn't fully retired after his recent fight against 'The Problem Child' due to his ongoing health issues, we've probably seen the last of 'Iron Mike' in the boxing ring.
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