Mandrill vs cane corso: why I'm taking the dog in this matchup

A cane corso versus a mandrill: who wins? I think people underestimate how dangerous a mandrill can be, but in this matchup I'm taking the cane corso. The dog's size and the way it bites give it the edge over the monkey's scarier looking teeth.

The mandrill is no small monkey climbing in the trees

When you think about a monkey in a fight, you might be picturing a small monkey climbing around in the trees. That's not a mandrill. It's the largest monkey in the world, and the big males especially can go up to 80 pounds.

They've got powerful arms, incredibly strong jaws and large canine teeth that can grow more than 2 inches long. "Those teeth, well, they're no joke." With one good bite, a mandrill could do some serious damage, especially if it manages to grab onto the dog's face or neck.

The cane corso is no ordinary dog either

Just as the mandrill is no ordinary monkey, I think you can say the same about the cane corso. A big adult can weigh 100 to 120 pounds or more. These dogs are incredibly muscular, with big broad chests, powerful necks and jaws designed solely to grab onto something, not let go and hold it down.

The mandrill does have advantages of its own. It's more flexible, and it can use its hands to grab throughout the fight. Then there are those enormous teeth. One well placed bite, and they could take the dog down.

Once the cane corso bites, the mandrill could struggle to break free

The problem is that once the cane corso gets a good bite, it's going to be difficult for the mandrill to break free. Dogs don't bite and let go. They clamp down, pull and shake their opponent, which can cause some devastating injuries.

It's also predator versus prey. As intimidating as the mandrill's teeth look, they're mostly there to attract mates or intimidate opponents. The monkey's skull and teeth aren't designed to grab, hold and kill. The dog's are. So while the mandrill might have the scarier looking teeth, I'm taking the cane corso. The cane corso wins.