MIKE TYSON has rejected a £16million offer to make his comeback with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
But the promotion’s chief David Feldman revealed he will revise his deal in a bid to tempt Tyson, 53, into the brutal world of fighting with exposed fists.
Mike Tyson rejected a £16m offer to fight in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
The promotion will now attempt to make a second offer to Tyson
The former heavyweight champion, who retired in 2005, has been training for the last month after announcing shock plans to compete in exhibition bouts for charity.
But BKBFC boss Feldman argues the retired legend is a perfect fit for his sport which consists of five two-minute rounds of explosive fighting and made the American an offer after seeing his training clips online.
He told Sirius XM Fight Nation: “I wasn’t really targeting Mike Tyson until he came back with the videos.
“He was training and he said ‘I’m back,’ so I said look, if you shoot me back I think this is the perfect platform for him.
“Look, Mike Tyson, at his age, I don’t think he can do ten three minute rounds, this is five two minute rounds.
“It’s a little different than what he’s use to, but it’s a shorter timeframe and I think it’s something that would really fit his fighting style and his age group right now.”
Tyson has been offered a third fight with Evander Holyfield amid his comeback trail, with promoter Eddie Hearn claiming to have been approached about working on his proposed return.
And as well as other wildcard proposals like boxing rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams, BKBFC are desperate to have Iron Mike under their banner.
They staged a high profile pay-per-view last year as retired boxer Paulie Malignaggi suffered a shock points loss to Conor McGregor’s training partner and friend Artem Lobov.
The promotion have signed several ex-boxers and UFC fighters, with Shannon Briggs the latest to join their stable following rumours he would be the man to face Iron Mike.
But despite preparing to make an increased offer to have Tyson compete in bare knuckle, Feldman admits the legendary heavyweight appears to be uninterested.
He said: “I’m going to be very, very transparent; initially they said ‘No, absolutely not, not bare knuckle, and then we talked a little bit more about doing other opportunities with Mike and getting him involved and then we’re going back to the table with something.
“We have something really big that we’re going back to the table on on Monday, an offer with him and it’s not going to be here in the United States.
“But it’s going to be a very, very substantial offer and we’ll see what happens from there. But initially, right now, at this moment, it’s dead.”
Mike Tyson declares ‘I’m back’ as 53-year-old posts ferocious video showing off speed and power in training
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
