It does not equate with the ill-famed Washington incident 167 years ago when a South Carolina congressman, Preston Brooks, bloodied a Massachusetts senator, Charles Sumner, with blows from a cane in anger over his criticism of slaveholders.

But Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin said Friday given a do-over of his verbal challenge Tuesday to fight Sean O’Brien, he might leap the ornate horseshoe dais barrier between the two and go nose-to-nose with the Teamsters Union president.

Mullin did not predict the outcome in an interview with the Norman, Oklahoma, Transcript, but noted he’s a former professional mixed martial arts fighter and the maneuver could have allowed him to get to O’Brien “faster.”

“Honestly,” Mullin said, “I thought the guy would just kind of back out.”

Instead, O’Brien engaged in back-and-forth insults with Mullin about the reason for his ire – a series of critical tweets aimed at the conservative Republican senator by O’Brien, including one saying, “you know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy.”

Mullin said the Senate hearing room was the right time and place. To which O’Brien replied, “I’d love to do it right now.”

Mullin replied, “Well, stand your butt up then.” O’Brien rejoined, “You stand your butt up.”

Mullin rose from his chair, prompting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee conducting the hearing, to demand he sit down.

“You are a United States senator,” Sanders reminded Mullin.

Mullin sat down but the invectives between Mullin and O’Brien continued for several minutes, with Sanders banging his gavel intermittingly until the shouting stopped.

In his interview with the Norman Transcript, Mullin said O’Brien baited him five times online before he spoke up at the hearing.

“It was just calling him out for being a bully online,” said Mullin. “A lot of people can be powerful behind a keyboard … but very seldom do you get called out on those words.”

Inducted seven years ago into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an Outstanding America entry, Mullin, 46, competed as a young man in the welterweight mixed martial arts class with the Tulsa-based Xtreme Fighting League.

He claims he went undefeated in five professional fights. And, he added his wife, Christine Rowan Mullin, is also a former fighter as a professional kickboxer.

“I’m more afraid of her than Sean O’Brien,” he said.

Norman, Okla., Transcript reporter Brian D. King provided details of the interview with Senator Mullin included in this story.