Conor McGregor's career is something we've heard Mike Tyson speak about before.
Following McGregor's defeat to Nate Diaz, Tyson said that he felt the Irishman had moved up in weight too fast - a mistake - but one which he could learn from.
In an interview with Fighters Only magazine, Tyson has further expressed his views on the UFC featherweight champion.
Tyson appreciates McGregor's approach to the fight game and how he views it equally as a sport and a business.
Professional fighting is showbusiness. And at the end of the day you have to make sure you’re just as much about the business as you are the show.
Conor is very charismatic. Jon Jones is bad, but deep down he’s a decent kind of person and very shy. Whereas this guy, Conor, he’s the man. He reminds me of the old-time boxers, one of those guys that’s just into everything. He walks into the room and everybody stands up. He sucks the air out of the room. He’s just a really interesting guy.
Given his (most) recent run-in with the law, Albuquerque police might disagree with Tyson's assertion that Jon Jones is 'shy'.
One of the great criticisms of McGregor is that he has been given opportunities because of his hype-generating personality rather than concrete ability - though he certainly quashed some of that opinion with his 13 second KO of Jose Aldo.
Tyson somewhat agrees with this view. He believes McGregor's personality outweighs his talent.
He does things nobody else has been able to do too. He’s kind of like an animated character, one that’s real though. He’s a great fighter, but his personality is even bigger than his talent. Isn’t that crazy? He’s got this huge personality. Nobody in MMA has ever had a personality as big as his. Ronda (Rousey) is just like a monster – the things she would do – but this guy is different. His personality is phenomenal.
