johnnyrocket - MyTwoCents

Daily sports briefs | 'Iron Mike' Tyson offered R350 million for bareknuckle fight, Conor McGregor mulls shot at third UFC title - and more!

TYSON OFFERED $20M FOR BAREKNUCKLE FIGHT

The Mike Tyson circus continues with news that Bareknuckle Fighting Championship president David Feldman has offered 'Iron Mike' $20 million to take a fight with an as-yet-unnamed opponent. Apparently Tyson refused his first offer point blank, but Feldman is confident that the right number could trigger a change of heart.

“I think I know what we need to do to make this thing happen,” said Feldman.

“We’re not successful yet in making that Mike thing happen. But I don’t think the door’s shut. He did say no immediately. But I think there’s room there.”

MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: I think I speak for the entire human population when I say that it would be every man's worst nightmare to take on Mike Tyson in a bareknuckle fight. Aside from the right incentive for Tyson to take the fight, Feldman also needs to worry about the right amount of money, and life insurance, to tempt someone to step into that kind of ring with Tyson. The short answer: there is no amount of money that could make this happen.

MCGREGOR OFFERED SHOT AT UFC TITLE RECORD

The latest match-making doing the UFC rounds has welterweight champ Kamaru Usman offering Conor McGregor a shot at his title. With Jorge Masvidal lining up a rematch with Nate Diaz and the lightweight division complicated, the offer to fight Usman could be a tempting one for McGregor, mainly because it would give him the chance to win a title in 3 different divisions. McGregor became the first UFC fighter to simultaneously hold two belts in two divisions when he added the lightweight belt to his featherweight title a few years back. A move up to welterweight though would provide a very tough challenge ... particularly against Usman who is a powerhouse in that weight class.

MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: Bad move if you are in Conor's camp. Usman would batter Conor at welterweight and would do his reputation no good. Conor is running out of time and needs to pick his fights carefully from here on in. He should stick to lightweight for now.

MERCEDES TO EXIT F1?

Yet another voice has been added to the list in predicting that Mercedes will leave F1 at the end of the 2021 season. Gian Carlo Minardi, former boss of the Minardi team, believes that a growing rift between Daimler boss Ola Kallenius and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff could result in Mercedes leaving the sport. A number of reasons have been cited such as Mercedes slowly shifting towards renewable energy and the fact that it doesn’t really have a lot left to achieve in F1, having won every single Championship since 2014. Bernie Ecclestone and Eddie Jordan also believe that Mercedes is on the way out.

MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: We could see Mercedes reverting back to becoming an engine supplier as it used to be but what would that mean for the likes of Lewis Hamilton? Would he retire? Would Ferrari make a space for him?