Mike Tyson insisted he had “no regrets” about getting in the ring “one last time” following his defeat to Jake Paul on Friday night after revealing he “almost died” in June.
The eight-round fight – which took place at the AT&T Stadium in Texas – saw YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul earn victory by unanimous decision, with the 27-year-old American scoring a 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73 points win over the 58-year-old former world heavyweight champion.
In June, the bout was rescheduled from its original date of July 20 to November 15 after Tyson was taken ill when he was diagnosed with a flare-up of an ulcer problem.
He reportedly became unwell while aboard a flight from Miami to Los Angeles in May and needed medical assistance.
In a post on X on Saturday, Tyson revealed he “almost died” in June after having eight blood transfusions, but insisted he was still “grateful” for the chance to fight “one last time”.
He said: “This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in the ring one last time.
“I almost died in June. Had eight blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight, so I won.
“To have my children see me stand toe-to-toe and finish eight rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you.”
Friday’s meeting was Tyson’s first bout in 19 years and saw Paul use his youth and pace to take advantage further into the eight-round fight.
Paul paid tribute to Tyson post-fight, saying: “Mike Tyson, this is such an honour. He’s the greatest to ever do it.
“He is an icon. It was an honour to fight him. He was exactly what I thought he would be.”
Paul believes he can fight for a championship belt within two years.
There will continue to be questions for Paul over when he will fight a contender in his prime, as opposed to aging former champions, mixed martial artists or journeymen boxers.
“I think it could happen in the next 24 months,” Paul said of his title aspirations. “I truly, truly believe in my skills and my ability and my power. And the cruiserweight division is seemingly open for the taking on that timeline.”
The former social media influencer started boxing just over four years ago and has always said he wants to be a championship fighter.
He is 11-1 with seven knockouts, the only loss to Tommy Fury, the less-accomplished brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
The former Disney Channel star has proven he can create hype for just about any fight.
The first live sports event on Netflix was viewed in 60 million households, the streaming company said on Saturday. Netflix said further details on viewership would be available next week.
According to reports, Paul’s payday was $40 million, compared with $20 million for Tyson. Organisers estimated the AT&T Stadium crowd at 72,000.
“There may never be another moment like this in boxing, but I believe we can find something,” Paul said. “And I think there are a few names out there that make sense, that the events will be just as big.”
In the days before his fight with Tyson, Paul mentioned super middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, considered one of the best boxers in the world.
An opponent of that magnitude is probably at least several fights away for Paul, and it might not be long before age becomes an issue for the 34-year-old Mexican.
Paul's camp will never question its ability to put on a show.
“Boxing is ebbs and flows, ups and downs, big events, small events, medium-size events,” said Nakisa Bidarian, Paul's promoter. “Our philosophy is it’s not about what is the decision that happens in the ring. It’s about the attitude that you have and the product you create and how you entertain the fans. And there’s no more entertaining of an athlete than Jake Paul.”
