It’s not even fight week and clouds of controversy are looming over the upcoming Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight. People were iffy about the fight to begin with, given the massive 31-year age gap between the duo, but the latest revelation about Tyson’s medical emergency during the Miami to Los Angeles fight seems to have thrown them over the edge. 

Jake Paul not only had the advantage of age over Mike, but as he bulked up, he gained a significant weight advantage as well. In a recent YouTube video, former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen highlighted the immense courage displayed by Mike, even while battling a flare-up of his ulcer. Sonnen drew comparisons to the historic showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, emphasizing the magnitude of the moment.

Jake Paul can’t do this!

Speaking about Paul’s situation where he would want Tyson to be able to fight after the ulcer flare up, ‘The American Gangster’ highlighted that the former Disney star can not hold back against his opponent because “It’s a crime… That’s illegal! It’s gamed on!” He referenced the Mayweather-McGregor bout, where people thought Mayweather was carrying the former UFC champion because of how much time it took for Mayweather to beat McGregor. 

With that, Sonnen suggested Paul wouldn’t take it easy on Tyson because the fight is being officially sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. And if Paul does it—it would be “insincere” of Paul, while it would be a massive “opportunity” for Mike. However, since the fight won’t play out that way, Sonnen thinks “the whole thing is an uphill battle” for Mike Tyson, giving Paul a huge advantage.

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Reminding his fans that Mike Tyson is putting his “reputation on the line”, Sonnen claims besides the medical emergency, Paul’s got the youth advantage and “[Jake’s] got more pounds than [Tyson]”. So, “This is a massive courageous moment by Mike”, Sonnen added. Yet, one needs to consider the possibility that Mike indeed is feeling better and the medical emergency was an unfortunate mishap.

Mike Tyson shares an update about his health

Following the incident on the plane, fans were panic-stricken as they started speculating about Tyson’s ability to fight. Some of Tyson’s pictures in a wheelchair started circulating on X, highlighting Tyson’s old age ahead of the fight. To this, Jake Paul responded, “You love to make s**t up before knowing the facts for clicks / likes. Nothing changed”.

However, fans were later relieved to hear from Tyson himself a day after, as he wrote on X, “Now feeling 100% even though I don’t need to be to beat Jake Paul.”

The duo will go head to head on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, despite  Tyson’s recent health scare.

It’s hard to say how Tyson’s flare-up would affect his performance during the fight, but the whole thing seems to have started a massive debate on whether the fight should even happen. Sonnen seems to think if it does, it would be a courageous moment for him, but it will also give Paul another advantage. What do you think?