Tony Bellew has never been one to back down from a challenge.
The Liverpool heavyweight has overcome adversity on several occasions throughout his boxing career and he is not averse to seeing what happens when he lands one of his bombs with four-ounce gloves on.
Bellew has toyed with the idea of switching codes to mixed martial arts on a few occasions in the past year, with promoter Eddie Hearn bigging up his fighter’s wrestling credentials.
All good Tony. People twist things. But for the record, after gsp, I'm down to have a boxing match with you 100 percent. 👊
— michael (@bisping) August 15, 2017
And while the suggestion that Floyd Mayweather could make his Octagon debut has largely been dismissed as an attempt by ‘Money’ to keep his name in the headlines, Bellew is dead serious about his plan and even held talks with the UFC’s owners last August.
“IMG I think it was, the guys I met with in Vegas,” Bellew told talkSPORT.
“At the Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight, I had a sit down with a couple of guys.
“They were like ‘are you serious?’ and I said ‘100 per cent’. Going in a cage, something about it floats my boat.”
Bellew has set his sights on UFC veteran Michael Bisping as a potential opponent and there’s no denying that the match-up of Brits would garner plenty of interest.
‘The Count’ remains undecided on whether or not he will take one last fight or hang up his gloves for good but perhaps the allure of a clash with Bellew could tempt him back.
“I would turn his lights out,” Bellew said of the former UFC middleweight champion.
“He would go fast asleep. He would just go co-cozing immediately.
Once in the Octagon, once in the ring https://t.co/yL7x4BoUeX
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) August 15, 2017
“If I hit someone with four-ounce gloves on, mate, it is naughty
“Bisping can talk – and you know what, I would love it.
“But I’ve got all the respect in the world for Bisping, it wouldn’t cross over to be nasty or anything. I’m pretty sure it would just be fun.”
