Home/Boxing

via Imago

via Imago

Joe Rogan and Max Holloway have recently weighed in on the upcoming Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match! The legendary heavyweight boxer will be taking on the social media star turned-fighter on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The bout will be streamed live on Netflix and will be the platform’s first foray into the world of live boxing.

Nevertheless, while the bout has garnered a huge buzz in the combat sports world and beyond, many experts have also raised concerns about the age difference between the pair. But in his conversation with ‘Blessed’ on the recent JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) MMA Show no. 155, Rogan highlighted why he is interested in seeing the matchup despite the almost 31-year age difference between Tyson and Paul!

Joe Rogan reveals why Mike Tyson fight has caught his attention despite controversial age gap   

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Mike Tyson last stepped into the squared circle in an exhibition against fellow boxing legend, Roy Jones Jr. in 2020 which was declared a draw. While the fight against Paul is also being billed as an ‘exhibition’, in a recent interview with Fox News, Tyson stated, “This is called an exhibition, but if you look up exhibition, you will not see any of the laws that we’re fighting under. This is a fight.”

Social media has also been buzzing with clips of Tyson’s training ahead of the fight drawing a large number of views with the former heavyweight champion still looking dangerous on the pads. As such, Max Holloway stated on the JRE, “You were saying brother, with Mike Tyson like, did you see the clips of him moving bro?”

Joe Rogan affirmed that Tyson indeed looks good in the videos and Holloway further went on to state, “Bro, imagine he goes in there and just clips the guy bro. Hope he gets something crazy and he says his back is broken. That iconic speech. Yet another iconic speech from him. Cause everybody saw him walk around with the cane right? What if he’s trolling everybody? What if he knew bro? What if he knew something we didn’t know? What if he’s Ryan Garcia-ing us, all over you know…”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by MMA | UFC (@xcellentmma)

The comments about Ryan Garcia are especially interesting as ahead of his fight with Devin Haney concerns were being raised about his mental health due to disturbing social media posts by the boxer. However, after upsetting Haney and winning the bout, Garcia proclaimed in the post-fight interview, “You really thought I was crazy? You done lost your own minds.”

Rogan then stated, “And this is the only time I could ever remember where I would be interested in watching a 57-year-old man fight a 27-year-old man”, indicating that the build-up to the match has sufficiently piqued his interest to where he is willing to pay attention to the bout despite the age differences and other concerns.

Hence, the buzz surrounding this “exhibition” underscores the timeless appeal of combat sports and the enduring legacy of legends like Mike Tyson. And according to Dana White, Tyson is deadly serious about his preparation!

UFC boss reveals Tyson is back to training with a purpose

UFC CEO Dana White was a guest on the Lex Fridman Podcast no. 421 where he was asked about the Tyson and Paul fight. The UFC boss then confessed that “I love Mike Tyson…” but he is not thrilled with the idea of someone at his age stepping inside the boxing ring. Regardless, White also stated that Tyson is an adult who is, “gonna do what he’s gonna do”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

As the conversation went on, White also revealed that due to his long-time friendship with Tyson, he had reached out to his wife to talk about his preparation for the event. He revealed, “At least I know, I talked to his wife a couple of days ago. And he’s taking it serious, and he’s training for it and you know, so we’ll see how it plays out.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mike Tyson (@miketyson)

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

In conclusion, the anticipation surrounding the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match continues to grow as the date draws near. And  Joe Rogan and Max Holloway’s perspectives have added another layer to this match that has divided opinions in the combat sports world.

Do you think Mike Tyson has a plan in mind when he faces Jake Paul? And will the age difference be too much to overcome even for the legendary ‘Iron Mike’? Share your thoughts in the comments below!