The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the headlines a ton throughout the 2025 offseason. A big reason for that is the unresolved quarterback situation, as well as the various moves at wide receiver. However, a story that has disappeared from the public eye is the fight that was supposed to happen between James Harrison and former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson. The two were supposed to compete in a mixed martial arts (MMA) match in New Orleans during the week of Super Bowl LIX, but that clearly did not happen.
The MMA match between the two former rivals did not happen as Harrison had suffered a minor injury, which he revealed on a podcast at Radio Row during the week of Super Bowl LIX. The two seem to still plan to fight one another, although the specifics of a potential fight have not been released yet. Ochocinco has remained confident throughout this process that he will be able to win the fight, despite being much smaller than Harrison. He recently went on Theo Von's podcast, This Past Weekend, where he shared his confidence in his ability to take down Harrison.
"I'm going to beat James Harrison's a*s," Ochocinco said. "Yeah, I'm going to f*ck him up."
This confidence from Ochocinco seems a bit irrational, especially considering the size difference between the two former professional athletes. He played at 192 pounds, while Harrison played at 243 pounds. Those weights have fluctuated since, but both athletes should be in the same ball park. That weight difference wouldn't even be allowed in an actual, sanctioned fight, which means Ochocinco is at a severe disadvantage.
Harrison also still works out like he is preparing to play in the NFL. He was known for lifting a ton of weight during his career, and that trend has continued into retirement for the former defender. This should not give Ochocinco any level of confidence, as the only thing he has playing in his favor is his quickness.
If the two were competing in a race, Ochocinco would be the clear favorite, but this is Harrison's arena when it comes to MMA. Harrison has also received acting credits for starring in a show about wrestling titled Heels, and he has certainly gone through a training process for that role that might give him another advantage.
Take away the physical attributes that Harrison has over Ochocinco, and the former Steeler should still win the fight based on his mindset. He has always been one to put his body on the line to get the job done, and he should be expected to do the same in the octagon.
Steelers Dominated The Bengals During James Harrison's Time In Pittsburgh
Harrison and Ochocinco faced off against one another in the AFC North for seven seasons from 2004 through 2010. Pittsburgh was 11-4 against Cincinnati over that time span, and a lot of that had to do with Harrison and the stifling defense the Steelers had. Harrison was a primary starter for Pittsburgh in four of those seven seasons, and the outside linebacker recorded 49 sacks, five interceptions, 505 totals tackles, and 73 tackles for loss over that time span. Those are remarkable numbers over a seven season stretch where he was only a true starter for four years, and his domination over Ochocinco should continue when the two end up fighting.
