An amateur MMA fighter claims he has been offered more than $500,000 to fight a chimpanzee after joking online that he could beat one in a one-on-one fight.
Cole Johnson’s bizarre challenge started with a viral video in which he confidently argued that the strength of chimpanzees is often exaggerated.
The video exploded online, and Johnson says he was then offered $500,000 to prove his point by actually fighting one.
That first offer apparently fell through, but Johnson claims another group has since offered him even more money.
The proposed fight has been linked to September 11, although there is still no independent confirmation that it will actually happen.
So, could a trained MMA fighter really beat a chimp?
Scientists aren’t liking his chances.
Research suggests chimpanzee muscle produces around 1.35 times the maximum dynamic force and power of human muscle, rather than the often-repeated claim that chimps are several times stronger. But strength isn’t the only problem.
Chimpanzees have powerful jaws, large canine teeth and exceptionally strong upper limbs.
Dr Kimberley Jane Hockings, a conservation scientist at the University of Exeter, warned that when chimpanzees attack, the resulting injuries can be “catastrophic.”
Unlike another MMA fighter, a chimp wouldn’t understand that it was taking part in a sporting contest either.
Johnson claims the animal’s teeth and claws would remain intact and that people carrying tranquilizers would be nearby in case things went badly.
“I don’t want to kill this wild animal, and I don’t want to die,” he said of the proposed fight.
