Andrew Tate is known for his kickboxing career but this isn’t the only combat sport that he’s competed in.

To prepare for his professional boxing debut with Misfits, Tate has been working alongside a top UFC star ahead of his return to the ring.

What some may not know is that ‘Cobra Tate’ previously fought in a professional MMA bout following five contests as an amateur.

Tate recently named UFC champion Alex Pereira as one of his three-man combat sports GOAT list.

A different legendary fighter has previously drawn comparisons between the two men when going back to watch old footage.

Demetrious Johnson believes Andrew Tate could’ve had a lot of success in MMA

Andrew Tate recently revealed a hidden motive behind his return to competition after being retired since 2020.

Despite this, he’s still taking Chase DeMoor very seriously even if he’s vastly more experienced due to his extensive kickboxing career.

Tate’s signature striking style has always been a key part of his game, as shown in the one pro MMA fight that he had back in 2010.

UFC legend Demetrious Johnson watched ‘Cobra Tate’ stop Shane Kavanagh in his pro debut in an old video on his YouTube channel where he was impressed by what he saw.

“I think Andrew Tate, if he would have stayed with MMA, I think he would have been fine just because he understands the standup game,” Johnson explained. “You see a lot of guys come into mixed martial arts with just a good standup game.”

The former UFC flyweight champion went on to name elite strikers like Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira, and Valentina Shevchenko who have all had remarkable MMA careers after achieving success in different rulesets.

While Johnson didn’t say definitively that Tate would’ve done the same if he’d stuck with MMA, he believed that it was possible after watching one fight.

“These athletes can come into mixed martial arts and do very well because they have a great understanding on the feet,” Johnson continued. “If they can just defend a takedown, which a lot of them have to be successful, they can be a world champion. So, Andrew Tate could’ve been very successful in mixed martial arts.”

Andrew Tate has been working alongside one of his MMA opponents for his return

Before he takes on Chase DeMoor for the Misfits Boxing heavyweight title at ‘The Fight Before Christmas’, Andrew Tate has been working with a former opponent.

In his final amateur MMA fight in 2010, ‘Cobra Tate’ defeated Luke Barnatt.

Barnatt, who was coached by Chael Sonnen on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ in 2012, competed six times inside the Octagon.

After producing a three-fight win streak at middleweight, a loss to Sean Strickland in 2014 changed his fortunes, with a three-fight losing skid bringing an end to his run with the UFC.