Mike Tyson should not be fighting Jake Paul anymore, so says Demetrious Johnson.
Tyson and Paul were scheduled to face each other in an eight-round professional boxing match on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. However, after the 57-year-old Tyson suffered a medical episode while boarding a plane, the bout was officially postponed to November 15 in order to give Tyson ample time to recover and properly prepare.
But Johnson thinks they should scrap it altogether.
“He’s 58 years old,” Johnson said recently on The MMA Hour. “I don’t know what his health history is, and I think the biggest thing is you have someone who is 58 years old trying to push his body to the absolute limit, moving. I don’t know if he’s sparring or anything like that. I love Jake Paul, I just think there are so many f*cking boxers out there that he can fight and build, pad his record with. I understand Mike Tyson is a big name and Netflix wants to do it, but I don’t think they should revisit it.
“There are plenty of guys out there that Jake Paul could fight. KSI is one of them. He could fight T-Wood [Tyron Woodley] again. He could fight Mike Perry, ‘Platinum.’ He could fight Jorge Masvidal. There are so many guys! He could fight Anthony Pettis. There are so many guys who are younger than Mike Tyson but a little bit older than him that he can beat and have a big name. But I just think him fighting Mike Tyson, the guy is 58. I don’t want to see Mike Tyson get hurt. For what? ... This is the stupidest f*cking thing that’s happening right now. You’re tell me there is literally nobody out there that can fight Jake Paul that’s his age, that is 8-0 as a boxer?”
Of course, the goal is not just to find someone to fight Paul, but to find someone notable. Tyson vs. Paul is expected to be the first fight broadcast live on Netflix, and given the access the streaming giant provides worldwide, the bout figures to be one of the biggest fights of the year, if not the century. It’s also a classic Paul fight, as he’s facing a star who is significantly older than he is, as he did with Ben Askren, Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz. But for Johnson, that schtick is wearing thin.
“If they want something that’s big, get a very good boxer that’s really good and have [Paul] fight him,” Johnson argued. “His skills should sell enough. I’m not here for a f*cking circus. I’m here for, are you legit or not? Fight a legit boxer who is 8-0.
“Let’s have a legit boxing promoter like Eddie Hearn give us somebody. ‘Hey, who do you think would be a good fight for Jake Paul? Who?’ Ask Eddie Hearn that and see if he can get the guy to sign on the dotted line and have a fight.”
And “Mighty Mouse” has the perfect guy: The face of BKFC, Mike Perry.
Paul has flirted with the idea of fighting Perry for some time, even having “Platinum” serve as the backup fighter for his matchup against Nate Diaz. Recent reports have even linked the pair to a potential dance date, however nothing is yet official.
But that’s the matchup Johnson wants to see.
“Bare-knuckle fighting, absolutely not.” Johnson said when asked if Paul could beat Perry.
“You know what, I don’t know. It’s boxing rules. One of the things Mike Perry does very well is he puts a lot of damage on his opponents with bare knuckles. With those gloves, I don’t know if he can do the same type of damage, because cutting someone in the face and all that stuff, I don’t think he could do that. But I would watch.
“I’m more excited to see Mike Perry vs. Jake Paul in a boxing match. Netflix, f*cking sign it. Mike Perry vs. Jake Paul. ... That’s a way better selling fight than Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. Let Mike Tyson enjoy his retirement. Don’t bring that man back to fighting. Let him enjoy the rest of his life and let Mike Perry and Jake Paul fight.”
