Mike Tyson sold '£55K massive monster pet' after it ripped somebody's arm off

Former world heavyweight champion has had relationships come and go over the years, but parting ways with a pet tiger may be one of the most heart-wrenching. That's after the pair were forced to part ways when the big cat in question "ripped somebody's arm off."

At one point, kingpin Tyson owned three Bengal tigers, but he donated two to an animal sanctuary after realising they required too much care. The remaining tiger, Kenya, stayed with him for 16 years until a tragic accident led to their separation and a woman allegedly losing a limb.

'Iron' Mike - who is set to come out of retirement to fight on November 15 - reportedly purchased the £55,000 tiger when he was released from prison after being convicted of rape in 1992. However, their bond came to an unfortunate end when a member of the public bizarrely decided to enter Kenya's enclosure.

"I did have a pet tiger, her name was Kenya and she was around 550 pounds (250 kilograms)," Tyson told GQ (via ) in 2019. "I had a great affection for her; I kept her, I slept with her, I kept her in my room.

"She stayed with me I had her about 16 years. She was a massive monster, you can't imagine the size of her. But she got too old and I had to get rid of her when her eyes and her head got bad. Oh, and she ripped somebody's arm off."

Contrary to speculation that Kenya had escaped from her enclosure when the debacle took place, Tyson has clarified it was the woman who had entered the tiger's territory. The boxing legend has explained the woman in question jumped over the fence to play with the feline before things took a turn for the worse.

Tyson also revealed that the woman, who was severely injured, attempted to sue him over the incident. However, the lawsuit was unsuccessful since she had technically broken into Kenya's enclosure.

Despite this, Tyson has clarified in the past that he still paid out a significant amount in compensation. In a 2020 Instagram Live conversation with rapper Fat Joe, he said: "When I saw what the tiger did to her hand, I had a lot of money back then, so I gave her $250,000, whatever it was because she was just f****d up."

Tyson is now gearing up to face Paul in the ring next Friday as he faces his first pro fight since 2005. However, fans will be hoping their encounter will not result in any serious injuries for either combatant.