With just weeks to go for Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul, the world is watching with bated breath as the 58-year-old former heavyweight boxing champion takes on a man 31 years his junior. The two were supposed to meet on June 20th but Tyson had to pull out due to an ulcer flare-up. This incident raised questions about his physical shape and overall well-being, taking on a challenge like this at his age. With the bout rebooked for November 15th, both athletes have to weigh in at over 200 lbs since it is at heavyweight. And ‘Iron’ Mike just revealed where his weight is at in a conversation with former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo.

On the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast with the aforementioned MMA fighters, Tyson said the following about his shape, “[I’m] 230 [lbs]. In fight week, yeah, I turn 230 [lbs]. But, my body’s changed a little bit. [I have] more mass, you know, I’m working out. You just put on weight, you put on fat and you turn that fat into muscle. So, you become heavier.” Standing at 5’10”, Mike Tyson is largely considered a shorter heavyweight in comparison to the men he’s fought, and in the general heavyweight boxing landscape. While Henry Cejudo pointed this out, ‘Iron’ Mike chimed in, “[I’m] Small – my fight weight at heavyweight, when I was champ [was] 217, 219”.

It’s exactly this size disparity that allowed Tyson to close the range and land devastating shots on his opponents. In an old interview, a young Mike Tyson himself talks about using his height to his favor – “[My size] is to my advantage, because most fighters are used to fighting opponents [who are] 6’3″, 6’2 – the average heavyweight. And, I feel that I used it to my advantage because I move my head, I’m very quick. And, I’m low to ground and it’s very difficult to hit me.”

Jake Paul stands at 6’1″ and with a reach of 76 inches – a relatively familiar territory for Mike Tyson. But Paul has 31 years on Tyson, meaning he might probably be faster, and more powerful than the ageing legend. Still, ‘Iron’ Mike has maintained a calm resolve, despite going against the perhaps biggest odd of his career.

“I have a relationship with my fear” – ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson’s fighting mindset

In an old JRE appearance, Tyson told Joe Rogan how he didn’t like working out as it made him aggressive. Tyson was the scariest man in boxing with 44 knockouts in 58 pro-bouts, and that scary persona transcended beyond boxing. It could be argued that the former heavyweight champion struck fear in his opponents.

In the same ‘Pound 4 Pound’ episode, Henry Cejudo brought up a conversation he previously had about Mike Tyson with Oscar De La Hoya, “We talked about fear. I do believe that there’s something that makes Mike Tyson special, it’s the fact that there’s fear in you.” On being asked to elaborate on that, Tyson said, “I don’t know, that’s just who I am. I am a fear-based person. My whole life is based off of fear – fear of succeeding because if you succeed, [it] may lead to failure in another direction. Or in a higher, participatory direction.”

Despite feeling fear, the heavyweight boxing legend said he doesn’t let the fear overwhelm him – “But, I know how to control my fear. My fear doesn’t dominate me. I have a relationship with my fear. I wasn’t born [with fear], I was taught. My mentor taught me to understand fear. You know, if I didn’t know the dynamics of fear, I’m a coward. But, I’m not a coward – everybody has the same feelings, but it’s what the cowards do that makes them the coward. And [it’s] what the hero doesn’t do that makes him a hero. But, we all have the same feelings. We just have to control those feelings.”

Mike Tyson truly brought that aura of fear with him inside the boxing ring when he fought. Will he be able to use that aura to intimidate Jake Paul? Let us know in the comments below.