UFC President Dana White Criticizes Jake Paul for Boxing Match Against Legend Mike Tyson
In a recent announcement, 27-year-old Jake Paul revealed his upcoming bout with 57-year-old boxing icon Mike Tyson, scheduled for April 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This match marks the inaugural boxing event to be streamed on Netflix.
During a conversation on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, UFC President Dana White humorously speculated on Paul’s potential future opponents, assuming a victory over Tyson. “If he beats Mike Tyson, he’s gonna fight Clint Eastwood next,” White remarked in discussion with former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, referencing Eastwood’s age of 93.
White expressed his fondness for Tyson, albeit reluctantly discussing the match-up due to Tyson’s potential reaction. “I love Mike,” he said, acknowledging the significant age gap and Paul’s previous loss to a peer, Tommy Fury. “But when the fight happens, he’ll be 58 years old. There’ll be a 31-year age difference. Jake Paul did fight a kid his age and lost.”
White also touched upon Paul’s aspirations in boxing, suggesting that Paul’s pursuit of high-profile fights is more about profit than legitimacy in the sport. “He doesn’t [want to be taken seriously], what Jake wants is to make money,” White explained. “People who follow Jake Paul don’t want to watch Jake Paul’s fights. So Jake Paul has to fight people who can actually sell pay-per-views.“
With a record of 9-1, Paul’s boxing resume includes victories over former MMA athletes and his sole defeat against Tommy Fury. Notable opponents include Ben Askren, Nate Diaz, and ex-UFC titleholders Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva.
Meanwhile, Mike Tyson, who ended his professional boxing career in 2005, boasts a record of 50 wins, 6 losses, and 44 knockouts. His most recent appearance was in a 2020 exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr.
Jake Paul has been vocal about financial disparities in combat sports, specifically targeting UFC President Dana White in 2021 for not providing fighters with their ‘fair share’ of earnings. He took to X (previously known as Twitter) to voice his criticisms and ambitiously claimed he would ‘save MMA.’
In a significant move in 2023, Paul ventured into mixed martial arts by signing with the Professional Fighters League, a key rival to UFC formerly known as the World Series of Fighting. Paul’s debut in the MMA arena is highly anticipated, though a date has not been confirmed.
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