The former world heavyweight champion, who himself once infamously bit an opponent in the boxing ring, has defended the Uruguay striker for his actions at the World Cup

Mike Tyson has leapt to the defence of Luis Suarez following the Uruguay striker’s bite on Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.

Suarez was handed a four-month worldwide ban by Fifa after biting the defender during Uruguay’s Group D clash with Italy a fortnight ago.

But former world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson, who himself once infamously chewed off part of the ear of Evander Holyfield during a title fight, has empathised with the Liverpool striker.

“Suarez’s bite? I understand it. It was a blackout moment which can happen at times,” Tyson replied during a Q&A on social networking service Reddit.

“It was just one moment in which the competition can make the blood in your veins boil and it overpowers your rationality.

“Sometimes you become something that you are not.”

Tyson is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history, and still holds the record as the sport’s youngest ever champion in his weight category at the age of 20 years and eight months.

Suarez, who also incurred a nine-game ban from international matches as a result of the third biting incident of his career, is believed to be closing in on a transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona, despite his suspension from footballing activity.