UFC chief Dana White reveals chat with Mike Tyson’s wife ahead of Jake Paul fight
UFC chief Dana White has revealed Mike Tyson is “serious and training” for his exhibition bout with Jake Paul.
Boxing legend Tyson, 57, is set to face Paul, 27, in a blockbuster showdown this summer.
The fight will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and will be aired live on Netflix.
Many fans have already expressed concern about the event, especially given that Tyson will be 58 years old by the time he steps into the ring.
However, UFC president White has revealed Iron Mike has been training hard in preparation.
The 54-year-old told podcaster Lex Fridman that he had spoken to Tyson’s wife Lakiha “Kiki” Spicer about the fight.
He said: “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 going to do what he’s going to do.
“I talked to his wife a couple of days ago and he’s taking it serious and he’s training for it.
“I think Mike Tyson is one of the most unique guys who have crossed over, any of the other fighters from his generation have no way of making money without fighting and Mike Tyson has made a lot of money outside of fighting.
“Tyson still has that aura that you could be in a restaurant, you’d be like ‘Holy f***, Mike Tyson is here.’
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“He still has that aura and energy in a room, he makes lots of money outside of the ring but I think he ends up getting these offers that he can’t refuse.”
When the fight was announced, Tyson said: “I’m very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“He’s grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of a ‘kid’ can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT.
“It’s a full circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch, as I started him on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones and now I plan to finish him.”
Meanwhile, Paul admitted: “It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard.
“Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons.
“Within just two and a half years of founding MVP, we’re about to produce the biggest fight in history, a fight in the biggest NFL stadium in the US, broadcast live, on the biggest streaming platform in the world – a testament to all we’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time.”