By Rhodri kilcoyne: In a recent video interview the previously undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Mike Tyson and UFC President Dana White met up to discuss how effective Mr ‘Lights Out’ James Toney will be in transitioning from boxing to mixed martial arts. On Saturday the 28th of August at the TD Garden in Boston, James Toney with 83 fights experience ranging from middleweight to heavyweight, will fight former two time light heavy and heavyweight champion of the UFC.

My first reaction upon viewing this revealing interview is that Tyson looks like he has been training very hard to erase the flab that has crept up on him since after his retirement from boxing in 2005. You all remember those disheartening pictures circa 2008 of the ripped 80’s icon now sporting a generous coating of flab around his mid section? If you don’t and you’re not of a squeamish disposition, type ‘Mike Tyson Fat’ in Google. It was definitely more than a winter warmer. Rest assured he now looks far more like his former brawny self, I would even dare say he looks fighting fit. Anyone fancy Mike Tyson vs David Haye? No, me neither. I would rather listen to the newly reinvented, rejuvenated Tyson who has seemed to have buried many of his demons of late.

This brings me to the discussion itself, having mentioned Tyson’s newly streamlined frame, it was slightly disappointing to hear how indecipherable his dialect could sometimes be. Surely a sign of perhaps a few too many wars waged in the ring, but it is especially confusing for anyone who watched the recent James Toback documentary on the pugilist’s life, where Tyson appeared coherent, articulate and dare I say it, intelligent. Perhaps it was the audio quality, or I’m just a posh idiot who can’t comprehend anyone who lived a life of hardship. Never the less Tyson appears a cerebral figure in comparison to Dana ‘The Rebarbative F-Bomb Opportunist’ White, who lets his potty mouth go wild in front of his idol. Anyway, while they both concede that James Toney, the fighter in question is immensely talented, a man who reminds Tyson of ‘the old school fighters’, they both agree that when it comes down to it, Toney’s ‘only got the punches’. This is a point Tyson gleefully demonstrates in a corridor, breathlessly simulating the potential sweeping and jumping knee kick attacks of Couture that could expose the defensive weaknesses of Toney. Weaknesses that will almost certainly hamper his chances of winning in the bout. If any of you ever wondered how Tyson would fare in a mixed martial arts contest, this is, hilariously, the closest you will probably ever get to seeing it.

Tyson brings up a potential clash between Toney and Brock Lesnar, to which Dana White responds ‘If he beats Couture he’s definitely in the mix to fight another heavyweight’, perhaps hinting at the possibility that this improbable sounding fight might actually take place. To those of you who don’t know, Brock Lesnar is a 6”4, 265 pound former WWE wrestler who in 6 UFC fights has solidified his reputation as one of the most feared fighters on the planet. He is an absolute monster, almost bearing the speed to match his tremendous power. He is not without his own weaknesses however, in his last fight against Shane Carwin, Lesnar demonstrated that he does not boast the best chin in the business after a suffering a first round knockdown. He did show an almighty heart to survive the onslaught Carwin rained down on him to submit his attacker and defeat him in the second round. Toney himself has claimed that ‘After I knock out Randy Couture, I’m coming for Brock’s bitch ass next’ and has mapped out his pathway to glory to become known as the greatest fighter of all time. He believes that providing he beats Lesnar (or ‘when’ as he has demanded from interviewers posing questions) he will finally achieve enough recognition to arrange a fight with one of the Kiltschko brothers. If he beats them, he is adamant that his status as the best fighter that ever lived, will be set in stone.

If James Toney ever gets a fight with Brock Lesnar and defeats him, I will proudly go on record and promise the loyal readers of boxingnews24.com that I will upload a picture of me eating the hat that is sitting next to me right now. If I indulge in pure fantasy and somehow imagine that Toney, at 42 years of age knocks out all the opponents he’s referring to, wouldn’t it be a wonderful world we live in? A wonderful world where I have to chomp on musty old beanies that I haven’t worn for 5 years, and where an old, 5”10 fleshy pugilist is held on a pedestal higher than Muhammad Ali. In these fights anything can happen though and Tyson has issued a warning about James Toney; ‘He’s a crazy guy, I mean he’s a really dark kinda crazy guy!’. We will find out just how crazy ‘Lights Out’ is on Saturday night.