How Garcia, Usyk, Tyson, and the UFC responded to ‘100 men vs a gorilla’

It started with a tweet from internet personality MrBeast at the end of April.

Posting to the platform now known as X, the YouTuber also known as Jimmy Donaldson and famous for his elaborate stunts, asked whether there were any volunteers – one hundred, specifically – to test a hypothetical scenario involving one hundred man and a primate.

The tweet went immediately viral. As of Tuesday 13 May, it has notched up 51.4m views, 39,000 comments, 616,000 likes, and 23,000 bookmarks. Despite much of what MrBeast posting going viral, this tweet hit particularly hard; the tweet before it received only 15,000 likes and its successor just 123,000 likes in comparison.

Watch over 150 boxing events a year live on DAZN - subscribe now

While many on social media debated the question, questioning whether they would be one of the hundred or which hundred men it would take, or the odds of their survival, some in the boxing world shrugged and gave their thoughts online.

Eubank, who defeated Conor Benn two weeks ago, listed ten fighters that he thought would be most helpful in taking down the gorilla.

Eubank listed Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Chris Eubank Sr, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Brock Lesnar, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury, and himself.

And the result?

“I believe the ten of us together would eviscerate that gorilla,” said Eubank.

The UFC’s official Instagram account asked a host of fighters within that promotion about fighting the gorilla. The results were surprisingly mixed.

While some questioned the wisdom of fighting a 600lb creature without a weapon, the UFC’s bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili said he could handle the situation entirely by himself.

“One gorilla?” he said. “That’s easy, bro. I’m smart. I’m strong. I’m training every day. You think I can’t take one gorilla!?"

“I’m going to shoot,” he added, “and take him down. Easy!”

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk said his two sons would beat the gorilla. Otherwise, he said that he would have no need of the other 99 men. The Ukrainian said that he would be enough to defeat the gorilla by himself.

Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing

Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime.

See Schedule

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing

Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime.

See Schedule

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

When asked about a fight between a hundred versions of himself and one gorilla, the former ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ had a quite-colourful answer.

Tyson said to iFL TV: “the gorilla’s going to get ****ed up. You have to think. One hundred of us, with twenty of us at a time rushing him? Fighting him, biting him? He’s not going to do well. We’re going to stomp his teeth out of his mouth? Kick him in the balls. Grab his ****.”

“Get out of here,” Tyson concluded.

This is not the first time that Mike Tyson has considered fighting a gorilla. He gave an interview to a newspaper a few years ago when he confessed that he had offered a zookeeper $10,000 to let him fight a gorilla.

He said: “"When we got to the gorilla cage, there was one big silverback gorilla there just bullying all the other gorillas. They were so powerful, but their eyes were like an innocent infant. I offered the attendant $10,000 to open the cage and let me smash that silverback's snotbox! He declined.”

Ryan Garcia said that the boxers would win.

“We’d find a way,” he said, wisely. “Whoever is on the frontlines – we thank you! I’m not going first!”

DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more.

An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month.

A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.

For pricing in your country, more information and to sign up click here.