Mike Tyson and Jon Jones are two of the biggest names in the combat sports universe. The two have never met each other, either in a ring or an octagon. They might never meet in the future, either. Age and skills apart, the fact remains that one has yet to retire from his trade. The other is returning for a professionally sanctioned fight after nearly two decades in retirement.

So mundane stats apart, what will happen if a prime Mike Tyson were to meet the present-day Jon Jones in a street and a fight ensued between the two? Who will win? When put to fans, an array of responses came in, with most taking one side or the other.

When giants collide: Mike Tyson vs. Jon Jones

Happy Punch, through its X/Twitter handle, asked, “Who wins in a street fight, prime Mike Tyson or current Jon Jones?” After a three-year break, ‘Bones’ Jones returned last year to mark his heavyweight debut. He defeated Ciryl Gane to become the new UFC heavyweight champion. A match with former champion Stipe Miocic by year-end appeared in the offing. However, it faced cancellation on account of Jones suffering an injury.

On the other hand, four years after he fought an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr., ‘Iron’ Mike will return to fight a professionally sanctioned bout against Jake Paul on July 20 at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium. The eight-round match will take place under specific rules, though.

There would be many fans rooting for a hypothetical Mike Tyson-Jon Jones clash. However, it would be one of the many to have joined the pantheon of social media discussions. The fantasy fight that endears the most to a die-hard boxing fan shall remain in the Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson contest. Other combinations, such as Mike Tyson vs. George Foreman or Mike Tyson vs. Deontay Wilder, remain equally exciting.

Plot Twist in a Free-For-All 

No prizes for guessing; lines were clearly demarcated between fans supporting Jones and those vouching for Tyson. In terms of raw street fights, it appears that a majority consider the UFC champion to have a slight edge over the boxing great.

For instance, to this user, Jon Jones, in any form or from any era, will always be far superior to Mike Tyson, in any variant. The fight would be a one-sided roundup, as the user posited.

The next user also seconded the opinion. According to them, it will be a one-sided affair, with Jon Jones making a quick run out of it. The primary reason, the user believes, would be on account of Jones’ mixed martial arts training. ‘Iron’ Mike has barely received any training in the combat sports genre.

Calling Mike Tyson the ‘king of the jungle’, to this fan though, it has to be Mike Tyson winning every time he meets Jon Jones.

However, this follower, like many others, reiterated that without grappling skills, Mike Tyson won’t be able to do anything against Jon Jones.

This user reminded everyone how Mike Tyson was already an expert in street fighting before switching over to boxing. So without a referee, he would knock out Jon Jones in the opening round itself.

No one doubts the boxing skills of ‘Iron’ Mike. But a street fight, unlike the ones in a ring or a cage, remains a dynamic, multi-dimensional affair. There are no rules. So a person involved has to have some basic knowledge of take-downs and submission to gain an upper hand.

Relying on punching expertise might not be a great idea in a real-life situation. However, as one of the users stated, unlike many boxers, Mike Tyson has had loads of experience fighting in the mean neighborhoods of Brooklyn. So combined with his deadly power shot, who knows, the former heavyweight champion might seize an upset win over one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.

What’s your take on the poser? Between Mike Tyson and Jones, who, in your opinion, has the upper hand?