Exclusive | When Ernesto Hoost Nearly Fought Mike Tyson – SENSHI 29 Chat
At SENSHI 29, Ernesto Hoost shed light on some lesser-known moments from K-1’s history, including the near involvement of Mike Tyson in the promotion. The kickboxing legend Hoost recalled on K-1’s efforts to expand in the early 2000s and saw Tyson as a way to break into the United States.
When Ernesto Hoost Nearly Fought Mike Tyson
Ernesto Hoost, the greatest of all time in kickboxing and a multi-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion, spoke about his experience in an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA’s Tim Wheaton.
Mike Tyson’s rumored involvement in K-1 was tied to efforts by Kazuyoshi Ishii, K-1’s founder, to boost the promotion’s profile. Tyson attended several K-1 events and engaged in serious talks about joining the organization. Hoost recalled, “I remember Mike Tyson was at many of the K-1 fights… He was actually in talks with K-1.” However, Tyson reportedly had issues with K-1’s clinching rules and financial terms. “He didn’t like the clinching rules and everything. There was also the money issue again,” Hoost explained.
“There were serious about joining K-1 at some point. I think it was because there was good money involved. They had talks with the K-1 boss, Mr. Ishii. So yes, there were serious discussions… It was about the price, not about the fight itself. The talks were serious, though. At the time, K-1 had sumo wrestlers, professional boxers – everything.
These talks happened against a background of controversy. Ishii was arrested in 2002 for tax evasion, with investigation revealing fabricated contracts, including one with Tyson, intended to disguise financial transactions. Tyson’s involvement with K-1 was largely promotional, highlighted by a famous 2003 Las Vegas event where Tyson challenged Bob Sapp to “Sign the contract, big boy.” The anticipated superfight never happened because of visa complications and disagreements over rules.
Hoost added, “At one point, there was even talk about Mike Tyson coming. It was about the price, not about the fight itself. The talks were serious, though.” He pointed out that while K-1 featured a variety of fighters, Dutch kickboxers like himself were dominant. “America would have been much better off if they had some American K-1 champions, and then K-1 could have really exploded in America. Holland is a small market for fighting business. Now it’s slowly changing.”
The interview at SENSHI 29 offered a glimpse into a potential pillar moment in combat sports history. SENSHI is a kickboxing promotion that puts on impressive fights with fighters from all over the globe. It also hosts seminars with legends such as Hoost, Semmy Schilt, and several others. The event can be watched live on their YouTube.
