Mike Tyson confirmed as playable character for EA Sports UFC 2

How's this for timing? Mere days after our feature charting Mike Tyson's history as one of the most ripped-off celebs in gaming, the real thing has been confirmed as a playable character in EA Sports UFC 2.

Two versions of modern boxing's most famous villain will appear in the game. 'Iron' Mike is based on his near-invincible run in the '80s and early '90s, with 'Legacy' Mike adopting a current day look, complete with tribal face tattoo.

Tyson is the second character announced for the game to never have contested an actual UFC (or indeed any kind of MMA) bout, after former WWE wrestler CM Punk.

"When you think about the most devastating fighters of all time, Mike Tyson is either around, or at the top of everyone's list," said UFC 2 creative director Brian Hayes.

"It's fun to think that if MMA was as popular back when he was competing as it is today, you might have seen Tyson put on four ounce gloves and step into the Octagon. This is one of those great ‘what ifs' that we get to create when making a game like EA Sports UFC 2."

Tyson, like past Octagon greats Bas Rutten and Kazushi Sakuraba, is an in-game unlockable who can be played from day one by those who pre-order.

UFC 2 is released for PS4 and Xbox One on 17 March.

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Ben Wilson

I'm GamesRadar's sports editor, and obsessed with NFL, WWE, MLB, AEW, and occasionally things that don't have a three-letter acronym – such as Chvrches, Bill Bryson, and Streets Of Rage 4. (All the Streets Of Rage games, actually.) Even after three decades I still have a soft spot for Euro Boss on the Amstrad CPC 464+.