Mike Tyson ate the same meal one hour before every fight in his prime and it's not what fans would expect

Mike Tyson used to eat an unexpected meal before taking to the ring during his prime – and it may not be what nutritionists would advise.

Tyson, 58, was one of the most ferocious boxers of all time during his peak in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

He became the youngest-ever boxer to win a heavyweight title at 20 years and 145 days old when he defeated Trevor Berbick by TKO in the second round of their bout in Las Vegas, Nevada, back in November 1986.

Part of Tyson’s skill set was his unique build with the American being relatively short – standing at around five feet 11 inches – for a heavyweight.

However, for what he lacked in height, he made up for in power and boasts 44 knockout victories from his 59-fight career.

But what made him such a powerful physical specimen?

Famously, at the age of 18, he had a 20-inch neck thanks to an exercise - dubbed the neck bridge - which consists of moving your neck back and forth while it supports the rest of your body weight.

Ahead of his most recent bout, when he faced Jake Paul in November 2024, Tyson revealed his strict training regime.

“I do six hours a day,” he said when speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live last year.

“I start at 11 am and might leave the gym at 5 pm”

Mike Tyson in 1990 (Credit:Getty)

“I get a massage, then go right into strength and conditioning,” he added.

So, given his commitment to training, you would be forgiven for expecting his diet to be stringently planned.

Speaking to GQ in 2019, Tyson explained how he didn’t “eat anything that has a mother or a father”.

“That means I only eat vegetables and stuff,” he explained.

However, he admitted that this was not the case during his prime.

“When I was fighting, I ate a steak, some vegetables,” Tyson revealed.

“And right before, an hour or so before the fight, I would have chocolate bar and orange juice - just to get a quick sugar rush before I go in the ring.”

Most athletes now employ nutritionists but some are so talented that they seemingly do not need to follow a strict diet in order to perform at a high level.

This was also the case for NBA legend Michael Jordan, who reportedly used to eat McDonald's before training.