UFC legend Vitor Belfort has described Mike Tyson as a ‘very exposed man’ and is angry that ‘not many people protect him’.
The two sports stars have previously trained with each other, with Belfort showing the Boxing Hall of Famer the ropes in MMA.
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And Belfort, speaking exclusively to SunSport, revealed that the pair talked about their respective ‘difficulties’ during down time.
Tyson has had his own well-documented problems with alcohol and drugs, and spent three years in prison after being convicted of rape.
He still vehemently denies it, and has since changed his life, culminating in a sensational return to the boxing ring in November 2020.
Talking about their chat, Belfort, 44, said: “We have had a conversation. It was about personal stuff, difficulties, a person who went through difficulties.
He’s a very unique person, but the personal things we talked about, I keep to myself because Mike Tyson is a very exposed man and not many people protect him.
“But I can tell you that with Mike Tyson’s lifestyle, just to survive and here, we should use it as an example of ‘if you believe it, you can do it’.”
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Belfort was recently in boxing action – in a heavily criticized exhibition against Evander Holyfield.
He had beaten the 58-year-old former heavyweight King twice in the past, thankfully, the match was postponed in the first round itself.
But despite his own sporting crossover, Belfort doesn’t want to see Tyson try it out in MMA at the age of 55.
He continued: “He has to learn the ground game, wrestle and it’s a completely different sport, a completely different ball game. It’s very tough.
“Don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it would be a good idea.”
Tyson had previously sensationally teased that he could do MMA fights, with training footage showing him sparring in the Octagon.
But seemingly, Belfort wants it to be sparring in the gym and nothing more.
Tyson has a lot to focus on outside of training and in the boxing ring anyway, with the emphasis on his cannabis business.
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