The 5 Boxers who defeated Mike Tyson

• Mike Tyson was one of the most feared and dominant fighters during his time
• Due to his dominance in the ring and achievements, he is considered one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time
• Buster Douglas shocked the world on 11 February 1990 when he knocked out Mike Tyson in their heavyweight fight that took place in Tokyo, Japan

Mike Tyson was one of the most feared and dominant fighters during his time. Out of the 58 fights he took part in as a pro, there are only five boxers who defeated Mike Tyson.

The Baddest Man on the Planet claimed his first belt at 20 years and reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990. Due to his dominance in the ring and achievements, he is considered one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time. The American, 58, is expected to return to the ring this summer and face Jake Paul.

With many waiting to see him back in action, we’ve decided to bring you the five boxers who defeated Mike Tyson.

1. Buster Douglas

Buster Douglas was the first boxer to defeat Mike Tyson. Photo/ Andscape.

Starting our list of boxers who defeated Mike Tyson is Buster Douglas. The now 64-year-old shocked the world on 11 February 1990 when he knocked out Tyson in their heavyweight fight that took place in Tokyo, Japan. Tyson was unbeaten at that time and this knockout is considered the biggest upsets in boxing history.

Douglas was 29 years old at the time with a record of 29-4-1. Iron  Mike lost the WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles after the fight but he did bounce back in the best way possible by winning his next eight fights.

2. Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield, one of the boxers who defeated Mike Tyson, was a menace in the ring during his days. Holyfield reigned as the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in the late 1980s and then dominated the heavyweight division in the early 1990s.

It was during his time as a heavyweight that he stopped Tyson, not once but twice. When the two meet on 9 November 1996, Holyfield defeated Tyson via 11th round TKO. He was at the time 30 with a record of 45-1 and defending his WBA heavyweight title.

Evander Holyfield is the only boxer who defeated Mike Tyson twice. Photo/ Action Network.

In their rematch, Tyson lost via disqualification in the third round after infamously biting Holyfield’s ear. This was the first boxing match is more than 50 years to end via disqualification.

3. Lennox Lewis 

Lennox Lewis is another legendary figure in the boxing world who stopped Mike Tyson. The highly anticipated fight between Lewis and Iron Mike took place on 8 June 2002, in The Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.

After eight round of back and forth action, it was Lewis who won the fight via knockout and successfully defended his WBC, IBF, and The Ring titles. The two were in their mid 30s when the fight took place and had all lost before. It was the highest-grossing pay-per-view event in history at the time.

4. Danny Williams 

Danny Williams is the only fighter on the list of boxers who defeated Mike Tyson that is still active. In fact, the last time he stepped on the ring was on 26 August 2023 when he lost to Louison Loizou via unanimous decision.

Williams faced Tyson on 30 July 2004 in a non-title bout in MCI Center, Washington, D.C., U.S. Tyson lost the fight via knockout in the fourth round. He was fighting with a torn ligament on one knee and couldn’t continue past the fourth round.

Mike Tyson’s manager, Shelly Finkel, claimed that the veteran was unable to throw significant right-hand punches because of the injury. He underwent surgery four days after the fight.

5. Kevin McBride

One year after his bout with Danny Williams, Mike Tyson returned to the ring and took part in what would be his last professional fight against Kevin McBride. He quit before the start of the seventh round and later said in a documentary that he faced the Irish for payday and not with the aim of winning. He was in poor physical condition and had already gotten tired with throwing punches.

The legendary Mike Tyson ended his professional boxing career after losing to Kevin McBride. Photo/ ESPN.