In India, there was a time when Asiatic lions and tigers coexisted and encounters between them were a real possibility. Let’s specifically consider a scenario where one male tiger confronts one male lion.

While female lions typically hunt in prides, male lions spend most of their lives as solitary individuals. Once they reach around two years of age, they are driven out of the pride. If a male lion manages to establish his own pride, he usually only maintains control for a couple of years, constantly fending off potential challengers.

When they don’t have a pride, male lions frequently engage in fights with other solitary males they come across, as well as with pride males in their attempts to take over a pride. Consequently, male lions spend a significant portion of their lives fighting. This lifestyle, combined with inadequate nutrition and stress, often results in male lions living for about ten years, while females typically live up to fifteen years.

The mane of a male lion serves as a defensive attribute in fights. Lions fight by grappling with each other, attempting to overpower their opponent. I have witnessed many lion fights and encountered two deceased males over the years, both with spine-biting injuries, which is a common occurrence according to my readings.

The mane proves to be an effective defense in these cat-fights. Overcoming it requires a considerable display of dominance, entailing the ability to outwrestle the opponent to the point of biting through the spine. Tigers, on the other hand, lack this defense mechanism, as they rarely engage in such fights.

Tigers are solitary animals and, although heavier than lions, they are shorter at the shoulder. The weight difference is around 15%, which is significant but may not provide an overwhelming advantage for tigers, especially considering their height disadvantage.

In terms of behavior, male tigers often resolve disputes through displays and intimidation, usually avoiding physical confrontations. Submission is commonly expressed when one tiger rolls onto its back, exposing its belly. However, when it comes to actual fighting, this lack of experience places tigers at a significant disadvantage when facing a seasoned professional.

It’s comparable to pitting a heavy, inexperienced amateur fighter against a taller, leaner professional with a history of successful fights.

In such a scenario, a wild lion would undoubtedly emerge as the winner due to its lifetime of experience in fighting other male lions. Size alone does not guarantee victory.

However, in captivity, a tiger would have a higher chance of defeating a lion, as captive-bred lions often lack the necessary skills and are outmatched. Nevertheless, even in such cases, male tigers would likely submit if the fight turned serious and the tiger recognized that it was dealing with an adversary who was willing to die to secure a victory.

Lions earned the title “King of the Jungle” for a reason.

Note: Please refer to David Aronson’s answer in the provided link for the only recorded instance of a wild tiger fighting a wild lion, where the lion emerged victorious.