In an effort to boost ratings in its 29th year, The Discovery Channel is apparently pitting Olympic swimming legend against a Great White shark in a race to see who is the real king of swimming.

Having bested swimmers from around the world in three Olympics in a variety of strokes and distances, apparently Phelps has decided that the only real competition left for him is a remorseless animal that lives in the sea and has been evolving for 400 million years into nature's most efficient killing machine.

In something sounding like the weirdest legal case ever, Phelps v Shark is set to take place on July 23 on Discovery. For those wanting to make some bets, Great Whites can swim at an average of 30 mph and Phelps can usually top a whopping 8 mph in swimming pools. If Phelps pulls this off, he will be king of swimming pools and oceans and will probably inspire Conor McGregor to stage his own momentous sporting upset this summer.

VIDEO: This Is What Swimming With Great Whites Looks Like

Related