After Mike Tyson lost a boxing match to YouTuber Jake Paul in essentially the most unlikely intersection of sports and entertainment, one other odd couple could also be hitting the mat: MMA fighter and food critic Keith Lee and retired NFL star Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.

What began as a scathing critique of Lee’s food reviews has become a full-blown challenge that gives more drama than foodies’ criticism of Atlanta’s The Real Milk and Honey restaurant last 12 months.

During a December 4 appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast, Lee was asked about returning to combat sports and whether he would fight a famous opponent.

The normally humble Lee said that if he needed to fight any celebrity within the ring, he would want it to be Shannon’s “Nightcap” co-host.

“If I’m going to make someone, let’s go, Chad,” Lee announced, making it clear that his skills went far beyond kitchen criticism. He continued: “Ocho spoke hotly. He sounded crazy. Ocho spoke on a special level. But we have been talking ever since. I talked to Ocho.

As the prospect of a fight breaking out began to lift people’s spirits, Lee said, “Man, I come from a spot of love. I come from a spot of transparency. We had a conversation, Chad didn’t mean anything by it,” but then he said, “If you ought to wear gloves, we are able to put them on. I won’t lie, I’d kick Chad’s ass.

Many people on the X platform took up the challenge, and lots of people bet on Lee.

“Keith got it. The last time I saw Ocho in the ring, he dropped the love faucet,” one person said he tweeted.

Another X user wrote, “Keith will knock out Ocho and the next day he will make a TikTok video in his car with a description/review of the fight.”

Someone else he was joking“Imagine @ochocinco getting knocked out by Keith Lee. Keith looks down at him and says, “God is amazing.”

After the episode debuted and Ochocinco heard it, he he replied on the Wednesday, December 4 episode of “Nightcap” with Sharpe and their guest, JR Smith.

Ochocinco said people called him “Hella’s Hands,” but didn’t explain why.

Unwilling to back down, he responded along with his own fighting words: “Keith, you better stop playing with me,” he warned. “He won’t criticize the food. He will eat all the pieces through a straw.

The former NFL star continued the nonsense, saying, “Actually, uncle, I’ll fight you for letting him play and think he will be anyone competitive. When I kick his ass, then we’ll fight.”

Adding: “I do not care if it’s Bruce Lee, Spike Lee…Keith Lee. Anyone with the last name Lee will get a shout out. In fact, hey Lee from Rush Hour, she gets it too. You pissed me off.

Since then, Johnson has continued to antagonize Lee by sharing his gym posts or responding to critics who say, “Bro, buddy, he’s an MMA fighter, you’re wasted, don’t embarrass us.”

Johnson he replied“Well what the fuck was he fighting in MMA, get yourself together and fight, he was putting his pants on one leg at a time, like you scary… nigga.”

In one other post on X he he said“I can’t wait to beat Keith Lee…”

Lee’s challenge stems from an incident that occurred in early November 2023, when Ochocinco publicly criticized Lee as a food critic. Chad questioned Lee’s legitimacy, suggesting that his restaurant reviews were nothing greater than “rush.”

“I don’t like what he’s doing,” Ochocinco said, criticizing Lee’s influence over the restaurant industry. “Do you know how hard it is for us to even get into the food industry and own our own restaurant?” – he continued.

Lee, nonetheless, took the criticism in stride, stating that Ochocinco was entitled to his opinions, while also highlighting the broader impact of his food reviews, which have gained immense popularity on TikTok – where he boasts a formidable 16.8 million followers – and helped many Black-owned businesses.

Those who are usually not conversant in Lee’s fighting skills must know that he just isn’t an amateur.

Lee has knowledgeable MMA record of 7 wins and 5 losses. His victories include decisions, submissions and knockouts, primarily competing as a bantamweight in promotions comparable to Bellator, Brave CF and Final Fight Championship. According to to Sportster.

His brother Kevin Lee was also a standout UFC fighter from 2014 to 2023, which suggests that fighting is something of a family tradition.

While Ochocinco is not any stranger to combat sports, he admitted his primary background is in boxing.

He previously participated in a star boxing match against Brian Maxwell on the Floyd Mayweather-Logan Paul event in 2021. Additionally, he’s scheduled to take part in an exhibition MMA fight with former NFL player James Harrison next 12 months, CNN reports.

The potential duel raises intriguing questions. Will or not it’s a boxing fight that favors Ochocinco’s limited experience, or an MMA fight wherein Lee’s skilled experience could prove decisive?

“We would sell big for this,” Lee told Sharpe, before adding: “That would be crazy. And then we will hug each other and pray.”

For now, a fight is within the realm of possibility, and their social media followers are salivating on the thought of these two within the ring.

One thing is for certain: whether or not they fight or not, Keith Lee and Chad Johnson have already placed on a knockout performance in the world of funny talk and promos. In just 24 hours, they set the stage for one more epic fight that may bring joy to fight lovers.