Is Andrew Tate’s Boxing Legit? Demetrious Johnson Weighs In Before the DeMoor Fight
Andrew Tate steps into the professional boxing ring for the first time on December 20 when he faces Chase DeMoor, the reigning Misfits heavyweight champion, at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. The highly publicized matchup marks a significant shift for the 39-year-old former athlete. Despite his combat sports experience, the transition to boxing carries genuine questions about how his previous training translates to a different ruleset.
Demetrious Johnson Breaks Down Andrew Tate’s Boxing Skills Ahead of His Misfits Debut
Combat sports analyst Demetrious Johnson recently provided a detailed technical breakdown of Tate‘s boxing capabilities. “Mighty Mouse” Johnson emphasized that Tate’s height and movement mechanics present legitimate advantages. The former UFC champ explained:
“Andrew Tate does a lot of things very, very well. One, he hides his head very well with his tall stature and he’s able to move his shoulder and block those shots coming in. Second thing he does well – he goes to the body with the straight and the right hand, or if you shell up, he’s going to hit you in the body with the four or the three. Another thing he does well is he’s able to transition between southpaw and orthodox as he walks. When you’re orthodox, the main weapon is going to be the jab or the right hand. If he switches to southpaw, the left hand becomes the strong suit and the right hand is the jab. So he has dangerous weapons on both sides of the stance.”
Johnson’s analysis centered on Tate’s footwork and distance management, particularly his ability to retreat cleanly under pressure. He continued:
“I’ve always been a big fan of Andrew Tate. He’s done a good job of fighting his shots. One of the things he does very well that could potentially get him in trouble depending on who he fights is he leans back like a tall tree. But he’s very good at mastering the void and the distance between him and his opponents. When he fights, he does a good job by coming forward and bringing his head forward, and then when the person throws a right hand or a left-handed jab, he pulls back like a snake. You get it? So you’ll see him do this a lot, and then when they bring their hands up, he does a good job going to the inside of the body. He does a very, very good job and I’ve been watching Andrew Tate for a long time now.”
The conditioning question looms large. In his recent sparring footage, Tate maintained consistent output across multiple rounds without showing fatigue, a point Johnson directly addressed.
“This guy is getting tired because of the constant pressure of Andrew Tate, which is something he’s going to be able to do to his opponent. It’s just that constant pressure to always be in there. That’s the thing I was talking about right there – that snake where he comes back and forth, he waits, jabs, body shots. He jumps in and hits it. But you guys probably wonder why can Andrew Tate do all these rounds? It’s because he’s just play sparring. He’s not trying to hurt hard, he’s not exerting a lot of energy. He’s just working on movement, going southpaw to orthodox, throwing nice light shots and just trying to get some movement and some work in.”
Tate’s kickboxing career ended in 2016 due to detached retinas in both eyes, a condition that first surfaced when he was 23 and deteriorated by age 30. He briefly returned in 2020 with three consecutive victories against lower-level opponents. The gap in high-level competition represents a legitimate variable for December’s bout. DeMoor, conversely, brings 14 professional boxing matches to the table and has successfully defended his Misfits heavyweight title multiple times this year alone.
Tate’s legal standing adds another layer of complexity to his comeback. He currently faces 10 criminal charges in the UK including rape, human trafficking, and controlling prostitution for gain, allegations he denies. His controversial statements regarding women and his self-described misogyny have established him as a polarizing figure well beyond the boxing community.
