FACE OFF -The lion and the tiger have a very different life style in the wild and their fighting technique reflects that. The lion is a violent bully that goes out of his way to establish his dominance over others. The tiger is careful strategist that is very selective about who and when to fight. If the two met in the wild the tiger is more likely to retreat. The lions always looks very willing to fight and due to the puffy mane it looks much bigger from the front. With such an intimidating front the tiger is unlikely to risk a fight with an animal that can legitimately hurt him.
FIGHT- If the fight does occur it will truly be a clash of styles. Existing footage confirms that lion is constantly on the attack, pushing the tiger back. When the tiger retreats, the lion gives chase and is always attempting a tackle. The tiger is a lighting fast boxer that jabs the lion with both paws, usually knocking it off balance. But because those jabs do not have the tiger’s full power behind them the lion quickly gets back up. All existing fight footage between the two confirms this. If the fight area is not enclosed, the tiger will run off rather early in the fight as it does not like to brawl.
KILL If the two cats are trapped and there is nowhere to run, the tiger may have the advantage. Lions fight to establish dominance, usually it’s all about the image. If cornered the tiger will treat the lion as prey and go for the kill. Since the lion doesn’t usually fight to kill it would be at a disadvantage. Many animal trainers have stated that when the tiger is forced to fight it is deadly.