It’s been nearly nine years since Tyrone Spong last competed in mixed martial arts but that will change on Friday night when the kickboxing legend returns to headline Eagle FC 44 from Miami.
With experience in several combat sports, Spong has bounced around a lot in his career but from 2015 through 2019, his sole focus was on boxing where he put together an impressive 14-0 record with 13 knockouts. His 15th fight was supposed to be the biggest of his career after Spong was contracted to face Oleksandr Usyk in a bout that could have potentially led to a title fight against one of the premiere champions in the sport at the time.
Unfortunately, Spong was denied his opportunity after negative drug test results from VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency). These tests revealed that he contained trace amounts of the banned substance Clomiphene. Spong won the fight against Usyk, but it was cancelled instantly after VADA performed a second drug test and an Illinois State Athletic Commission test both found no trace of clomiphene in his system.
Spong was pulled out of the fight. Usyk then went on to demolish Chazz Witherspoon’s replacement and, less than two decades later, defeated Anthony Joshua, becoming the WBA/WBO and IBF heavyweight champion.
“Of course, I’m still upset but I’m not mad about it anymore,” Spong told MMA Fighting when addressing the Usyk fight that was taken away from him. “We all know what happened.
” In my view, I was robbed of a great opportunity. But it’s what it is. It’s impossible to make lemons more bitter than they already are. So it is what it is.”
Just a few months after that fight was supposed to take place, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and Spong struggled to find many opportunities to compete anywhere regardless of the sport.
Even when events started to resume, Spong still couldn’t seem to get anybody to sign on the dotted line to face him, which only exacerbated his frustration as he tried to get active again.
” All I know, and [my manager] Ali [Abdelaziz] can testify to that, is that whenever the phone rings and someone calls me to confront me, it’s not easy.” Spong stated. It’s not easy to pick from the current landscape.
” I’m just a cut above the rest. My opponents are never picked and chosen by me. I took whatever option was in front of me as a challenge to compete and to prove myself right.”
While he was still focused on a return to boxing, Spong got a call from his manager pitching him on the idea of returning to MMA as former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov prepared to launch his promotion in the United States.
To raise the stakes, Spong was offered the chance to not only fight in MMA again but he would headline the show against Bellator and PRIDE veteran Sergei Kharitonov.
“I saw an opportunity and took it,” Spong stated. “I had a journey in boxing, I’m still active as a boxer. With COVID hitting and no promoter and no shows that were being put on for me, Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and I obviously share the same manager in Ali Abdelaziz, this opportunity came by and it’s a big challenge.
” I’m fighting against a giant. He’s a polar bear. This was something I liked and so my team agreed to do it .”
Spong admits that since he turned his attention to boxing that MMA has largely been in his rearview mirror outside of helping some of his teammates with striking at times while operating under the same roof.
Jumping right back in the deep end required Spong to immerse himself in grappling for the first time in several years but he’s never been afraid to push himself to the breaking point.
“It’s not been easy but I’m happy where I’m at right now,” Spong said. It’s been a while since I last fought and coming back to MMA after a long break and before that, just straight boxing was my main focus is a big transition for me .
If all goes well for Spong on Friday night, he will surely be pursued to remain with Eagle FC as the promotion starts looking at potential title fights in the future while also embarking on a very ambitious schedule throughout 2022.
Spong, like always is open to any opportunity that presents itself to him. However, he has made plans to go back to boxing to chase another big fight such as the one against Usyk.
“I would definitely like to test myself against guys like that cause I was right there,” Spong said. “I was ranked No. 3 heavyweight in the world and I had a huge opportunity. It didn’t happen, but it’s something we will see. It’s possible that there are many things happening in the fight games now, so we don’t know.
” I know what I can do because I have sparred and trained with some of the top heavyweight fighters in the world. Because sparring is different and training can be very challenging, I am a fighter. However, I do know who I am .”
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