Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson and James Harrison fight in an exhibition

Former NFL stars Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and James Harrison will face off in an MMA exhibition bout in New Orleans before the Super Bowl in February.

The duo confirmed the fight on X, formerly known as Twitter, although the duration of the show appears to be in doubt.

“I'm fighting James Harrison in a 3-round MMA exhibition bout in New Orleans before the Super Bowl,” Johnson, a former star wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, wrote on X on Wednesday. “I'm so excited .”

Harrison, who was a star linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, responded by telling Johnson that the fight would last five rounds but that Johnson was confident it wouldn't go the distance.

“I’ll beat you (expletive) in Round 1, so don’t worry about the other four,” Johnson said. “I’m on business.”

This isn't Johnson's first foray into the ring. Despite being knocked down, he made it through in a four-round fight against mixed martial artist and boxer Brian Maxwell in 2021 as part of the undercard for the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Logan Paul fight. No winner was announced.

Johnson was a six-time Pro Bowl receiver and was named All-Pro twice during his 11-year NFL career. He spent his first 10 years with the Bengals and finished his career with the New England Patriots in 2011. He had 766 receptions for 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns in 166 games.

Harrison spent nearly all of his 15 NFL seasons with the Steelers, winning two Super Bowls and being named to the Pro Bowl five times and All-Pro twice. He retired after playing one game for the Patriots in 2017 and played for the Bengals in 2013. Harrison had 84 1/2 sacks and eight interceptions in 193 career games.

–Field level media