The Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight generated a record-breaking gate revenue in excess of $18 million, setting a new high for combat sports events in Texas. Held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on November 15, 2024, the event drew massive attention, underscoring the unique appeal of this clash between an up-and-coming athlete and a legendary figure in boxing.

With over 80,000 fans in attendance, the bout has cemented its place as a historic spectacle in modern boxing. ‘The Problem Child’ knows exactly how to be in the news and this time around he took a dig at the UFC. Let us take a look at what he had to say.

Jake Paul reminds the world how big his fight with Mike Tyson exactly was

The former social media influencer took to his X account and in a now-deleted tweet, shared his opinion on the extravaganza. He tweeted, “Crazy that we did a bigger gate than every UFC event history and that company is 30 years old. Biggest attendance of Mike Tyson’s career. Biggest viewership of Mike Tyson’s career. Biggest gate of Mike Tyson’s career outside of Vegas. Biggest combat sports gate in US combat sports history outside of Las Vegas.” 

UFC 309, headlined by Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, delivered not just an iconic night of MMA action but also impressive financial results. However, not as remarkable as the boxing spectacle held just a day before the event. The UFC’s latest offering drew a packed crowd, generating a formidable gate of over $12 million. The iconic MSG arena was buzzing with more than 20,000 fans, showcasing the UFC’s global appeal.

On top of the live gate, the event saw massive pay-per-view buys, estimated to exceed 1.5 million globally, contributing significantly to the UFC’s revenue. Fighter purses reflected the event’s grandeur, with Jon Jones reportedly earning over $10 million, including bonuses and PPV shares, while Miocic took home around $3 million for his performance. However, Jake Paul reportedly earned over 40 million dollars for his efforts while his dance partner, Mike Tyson made an impressive $20 million.

The two events garnered immense attention but the Netflix spectacle ultimately managed to edge the UFC PPV by a considerable margin. But did you know that the UFC CEO never wanted the 58-year-old to take up the fight? Surprisingly, we are not talking about his bout against Jake Paul. So, let’s dive in to find out!

Dana White shared how Mike Tyson’s past venture nearly turned into a nightmare

MMA and the boxing fraternity had expressed their collective concern for Mike Tyson’s well-being amidst his latest bout. After all, the abysmal three-decade age difference between the duo and Tyson’s severe health complications were massive topics of public discussion. One of the people echoing this sentiment was UFC CEO Dana White. But this isn’t the first time that the head honcho advised Tyson to not take up an ill-fated fight.

During the UFC 309 press conference, Dana White claimed his concerns for Mike Tyson had been a bit misplaced. White, of course, has been very good friends with the former champion for a long period. However, he was the one who had advised him not to take up the fight with Roy Jones Jr. as well back in 2020. He said, “You guys know the whole story about Shark Week. And if you don’t, I begged him not to do the Roy Jones fight, ‘[You’re] too old, I love you, I don’t want to see you take any more punishment.” Interestingly, White was also the one who wanted Tyson to come at the Shark Week and try his hands at it.

But, the whole thing went out of hand on the last day as Tyson was set to enter the ocean and he needed to swim with the sharks. Predictably, the 58-year-old blamed hilariously Dana White for this and felt boxing would have been far easier for him. He said, [Tyson was] like ‘this f***ing a**hole [Dana White] says he cares about me, I’ve been fighting since I was twelve. And he throws me in the ocean with a bunch of sharks,’”. The UFC CEO did agree to the fact that Tyson was indeed right about the whole incident.

What do you think about the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.