Mike Tyson will fight Jake Paul in a professional boxing match on Friday night in Dallas, Texas.
Mike Tyson is set to step back into the ring for his first professional boxing match in nearly two decades, facing off against YouTuber Jake Paul. Tyson’s last professional bout saw him retire on his stool after five rounds against Kevin McBride in 2000.
He later participated in an exhibition match with fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr in 2020, which ended in a predictable draw after eight less-than-thrilling rounds. Paul also fought on that same card, knocking out NBA star Nate Robinson before launching his own boxing career, winning 10 of his 11 fights so far.
Later this week, he will enter the ring in front of up to 80,000 spectators at the AT&T Stadium for one of the most contentious fights in boxing history – and here’s everything you need to know…
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When is Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson and what is the UK start time?
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are expected to make their way to the ring around 4am UK time this coming Saturday, equating to approximately 10pm local time on Friday in Dallas, Texas. The main card, consisting of four fights, will commence at 7pm local time, or 1am UK time.
The main event could begin earlier or later than planned, depending on whether the preceding three main card fights finish ahead of schedule or take longer than expected.
How to watch Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson via TV and live stream
The Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight will be broadcast live on Netflix, marking the streaming giant’s first foray into live combat sports. Existing subscribers can watch at no additional cost, while new members can join from just £4.99 a month.
Full fight card
The full fight card includes Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson, a match that many boxing enthusiasts never thought they would witness. The rivals will face off in eight two-minute rounds with 14oz gloves, making their bout more of an exhibition than the professional contest they are promoting.
Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano is arguably the best fight on the card, as the two renew their rivalry two years after their epic first encounter. Taylor, who has faced higher quality opponents since, puts her four world titles on the line.
The card also features a peculiar clash between professional fighter Neeraj Goyat and social media sensation Whindersson Nunes, which is likely to have a predictable outcome. Nunes has been active in the influencer boxing scene, fighting opponents of much lower quality than Goyat, who has been linked to a bout with Jake Paul.
The card is rounded off with Mario Barrios vs Abel Ramos. The second world title fight on the card sees the WBC welterweight strap up for grabs.
Barrios has been promoted to ‘full champion’ due to uncertainty over whether Terence Crawford will stay at the weight to defend his belt. Ramos, who has only won one of his last three fights, is set to begin as the underdog.
Shadasia Green, a member of Paul’s team, is gearing up for her second world title fight in a year tonight. Despite falling short against Franchon Crews Dezurn, she bounced back this year with a victory over Natasha Spence, who Melinda Watpool also fought and beat in her most recent match.
Lucas Bahdi made a name for himself in his last fight by stunningly knocking out Ashton Sylve from behind. He was scheduled to face Corey Marksman on Friday night, but Marksman had to withdraw due to injury and was replaced by Armando Casamonica, who has won all 14 of his fights.
Featherweight Bruce Carrington is aiming to steal the limelight as he continues on his predicted path to success. Having stopped eight of his 13 opponents, he should be too much for Dana Coolwell, who has lost two of his 15 fights – though both losses were against undefeated opponents.
What Jake Paul and Mike Tyson have said
Mike Tyson mused philosophically about age, saying: “You don’t know how old you are. Somebody told you how old you are. Julius Caesar had a big ego, he wanted an extra month so he said ‘I’m going to create July’. So really, how old are you? These people are creating months and years to make people a certain particular age, you don’t really know how old you are.
“I don’t know how old I am. People design their own calendar, so we don’t know how old we are. We know what people tell us how old we are. We know what people tell us what age we should be retired by this age.
“That’s what they tell us! Our man’s biggest downfall is to believe we have limitations and that’s what we do, we believe we’re a certain amount of age.”
Jake Paul discussed his training regimen, expressing: “It’s been going amazing. Intense camp. I’m sparring 300lb guys back-to-back. So my body is aching, my bones are sore.
“They punch a lot harder and just wrestling with them in the ring and sparring is very difficult, but on November 15 I’m going to be prepared. We’ve trained hard to make the fight easy.”
