According to Chael Sonnen, Mike Tyson and Jake Paul could learn a thing or two from UFC CEO Dana White! The two were set to clash on July 20 in a boxing match, but it was recently postponed after Tyson suffered from a medical issue. This led to the fight being rescheduled for November 15. The venue, however, remains the AT&T Stadium near Dallas, Texas, with the fight set to be broadcast live on Netflix for fans across the globe.
Amidst these developments, speaking on his YouTube channel, Sonnen revealed that there is a valuable lesson the duo can learn from the UFC boss in this situation. To support his statement, the UFC veteran used the example of Conor McGregor’s fight against Chad Mendes to illustrate how Dana White managed to turn an unplanned and tough situation into a memorable fight!
Dana White’s ability to adapt is a “lesson” for Mike Tyson Jake Paul fight: Sonnen
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According to a statement by Tyson’s team, the boxing legend required medical attention after an ulcer flare-up caused him to suffer from nausea and dizziness while on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. While the bout has been postponed, according to Chael Sonnen, there was another solution to the problem that has been utilized by Dana White in the past. He stated, “And what about this lesson? Are we going to learn so it doesn’t happen again in November? By example, just having a backup fighter. Be as simple as that, that would be a lesson that we learned.”
Sonnen further went on to reveal, “Many times that’s happened, Dana has found himself on short notice in a match that was not planned and did not build, that then does better than the projections for the original.”
Mike Tyson speaks on Friday, November 15th fight versus Jake Paul…
–#PaulTyson
Friday, November 15th
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
Live on @netflix pic.twitter.com/9qFM8C2yVr— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) June 7, 2024
The UFC veteran highlighted the fight between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes for the interim UFC featherweight championship at UFC 189 in 2015 as an example of this. Originally, McGregor was supposed to face Jose Aldo at the event for the undisputed featherweight title. But due to the Brazilian champion suffering from a rib injury, Mendes was slotted in instead and this led to one of the most memorable fights in ‘The Notorious’s’ career.
Sonnen then stated, “So there was something about that timing of bringing in Mendes in, who was the exact opposite style, was not a striker like Jose, he was a wrestler, there was something about that I remember, when that happened, I remember being so interested, going ‘Wow, what a great change’.”
As fans eagerly await the rescheduled fight, the idea of a backup fighter remains a practical consideration, but whether Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will take this advice to heart is yet to be seen. However, they have received offers from some huge names in the boxing world that would be interested in being available as a backup for the event, albeit with some conditions in place!
Amir Khan is ready to step in for Tyson if Paul agrees to a weight demands
Renowned British boxer Amir Khan has thrown his hat into the ring to be the backup for the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul in light of Tyson’s recent medical issues. The former world champion stepped away from the sport in 2022, but has indicated that he would be willing to take Tyson’s place but only if Jake Paul agrees to his weight demands.
Speaking to Offshore Poker Sites, Khan stated, “Jake is not normally that big, but he’s put on a lot of mass, so it depends on him, whether he’s willing to lose that weight and we find some middle ground somewhere.”
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Khan primarily fought around 140 lbs in his boxing career and Paul has bulked up considerably for the fight against Tyson, with some reports suggesting the social media star turned-boxer weighs around 230 lbs currently.
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Khan further indicated that so far he has received no calls from Paul’s camp to show interest in his offer, but he revealed, “…they’re making the sport look bad, so if it means I have to knock out KSI, Jake Paul and his brother Logan to teach them a lesson, I will.”
It remains to be seen if the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight will take place on its new date or if the pair will have to draw a page from the UFC and Dana White’s book to come up with another exciting matchup for the fans! Do you think Chael Sonnen is right about the Tyson vs Paul fight needing a backup? Share your thoughts in the comments below!