Ray Lewis might be the most feared linebacker ever to play in the NFL.

The Baltimore Ravens icon racked up an incredible portfolio of hit stick highlights in his 17-year career.

Lewis clearly hasn’t spent his retirement on the sofa

He holds the NFL record with 2,059 tackles – and many of those were a bruising experience for the men on the receiving end.

Peyton Manning named Lewis as his toughest ever opponent.

His retirement in 2013 saw offensive players on 31 teams breathe a sigh of relief.

Lewis was enshrined into the Hall of Fame at the first time of asking and the 49-year-old has the chance to put his feet up.

But it appears the fire is still burning in his belly, which may be bad news for MMA fighters.

A talented wrestler, Lewis was named Florida State Scholastic Champion at 189 pounds in his senior year of high school.

He went the entire season undefeated.

Lewis – looking in top shape – spoke to talkSPORT in Saudi Arabia before Francis Ngannou‘s brutal KO win over Renan Ferreira.

Asked if he could have chosen to enter the cage back in the day if the sport was as popular as it was now, the NFL great dropped a revelation.

“I could see myself getting to the cage now,” he said.

GettyOffenses always knew to look out for No. 52[/caption]

Ngannou scored a dominant win on his return to the OctagonGetty

“When you understand the levels of war, then you understand the fortitude that it takes for the mentality.

“That’s just telling another man I’m willing to go farther than you.

“So that’s who I am. That’s what I believe in. I don’t care what it is.”

Ngannou stopped Ferreira in the first round and Lewis says it is mentality that sets him apart from his rivals.

“The skills that every major star has, that’s the one thing that you can duplicate,” he added.

“What’s hard to duplicate is the mentality, what does it take to be him, to go be me. That’s different.

“When you see his mentality, he thrives to chase more, to do more, to grab more. And when you absorb like that, it’s just a different mentality, it’s just a different mindset.

“It’s hard to explain sometimes but when you see him fight you’re like, ‘That’s different.’

“All of them are aggressive, but then when you are able to go deep into their eyes and you look at their posture, you’re like, ‘That’s a little different.’

“He’s a special specimen.”