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via Imago

via Imago

Mike Tyson may be getting ready to take on Jake Paul in a boxing match, but UFC CEO Dana White isn’t a “fan” of the upcoming spectacle. The combat sports world was recently shaken up when it received news that the social media star turned boxer, Paul, will be facing the boxing legend on July 20 in a bout that will be live-streamed on Netflix.

The event has drawn a lot of scrutiny with many experts and fans highlighting the significant age gap between the two men as their primary concern. And in a recent statement, the UFC boss indicated that he has received much-needed assurance about Tyson’s preparation for this bout from his wife.

Dana White receives hope from Mike Tyson’s wife for his upcoming bout  

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The fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will mark ‘Iron Mike’s first foray into the boxing ring since his exhibition bout against fellow legend, Roy Jones Jr. in 2020. While the exact rules for the Paul bout are yet to be revealed, the event has drawn criticism from prominent figures in the world of combat sports. 

Iconic British professional boxer, Ricky Hatton recently stated in an interview that, “…some of the great champions of old will be turning in the grave watching that cr*p to be honest with you.”

And so, during his recent appearance on the Lex Fridman podcast, UFC head honcho, Dana White was asked, “What do you think about Tyson? Tyson fighting Jake Paul.” White responded by stating, “I love Mike Tyson and I’m not a fan of anybody fighting at our age, but he’s a grown man obviously and he’s gonna do what he’s gonna do”

He further went on to state that due to his concern and friendship with Tyson, he reached out to his wife to talk about the upcoming match. 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.”

As the event approaches, the boxing community awaits to see how the match will unfold and whether Tyson’s return to the ring at this point in his life will turn out to be a mistake for the legend. Nevertheless, while Dana White is supportive of Tyson’s choices, he slammed Jake Paul in another podcast appearance in his trademark, straightforward manner!

White slams Jake Paul for fighting ‘old men’

While he may be concerned about his friend, Mike Tyson, Dana White didn’t hold back from slamming Jake Paul for pursuing a fight against the aging boxing legend. In a recent appearance on the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, the UFC boss stated, “I love Mike and I hate talking about it because he always gets mad at me when I talk about this stuff, but when the fight happens, he’ll be 58 years old.”

He pointed out the 31-year age gap between the two men as a prime reason for his concern and also highlighted the fact that Jake Paul’s fight against Tommy Fury, a boxer close to his age, resulted in a loss for ‘The Problem Child’.

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White further took a jab at Paul’s decision to take on Tyson as he stated, “I just saw this thing on the Internet yesterday, I reposted it where it says if he beats Mike Tyson, he’s going to fight Clint Eastwood next. Clint Eastwood’s 93 years old.”

He didn’t stop there as he also aimed at Paul’s inability to draw viewers for his fights, which White claimed was the reason why Paul had to “fight people who can actually sell pay-per-views.”

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With the date for the fight still months away, the build-up is continuing to generate debate and intrigue in the combat sports world. Do you think Mike Tyson will be able to surprise the world with his performance against Jake Paul? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

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