'An all time backfire'… UFC legend sends KO warning to Jake Paul ahead of controversial Mike Tyson fight
30/08/2024 20:12
Jake Paul has been warned that he may be heading for ‘an all time backfire’ in his upcoming fight with Mike Tyson.
Legendary two-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier is one of the top analysts in combat sports, and has been keeping a keen eye on Paul’s fledgling boxing career. But he is one of the many vocal critics of the upcoming fight between the YouTube star and 58-year-old Tyson.
On November 15, Paul and Tyson will compete in the first boxing match broadcast live on Netflix. But many feel that the iconic former champion shouldn’t be competing at his advanced age, and that he is being taken advantage of for the sake of promotion.
- Who is Jake Paul? Get to know the YouTuber-turned-boxing sensation as he prepares to fight Mike Tyson
Daniel Cormier warns Jake Paul of potential ‘all time backfire’ against Mike Tyson
The opinion that Cormier holds is that for Jake Paul, a bout with Mike Tyson is a lose-lose. A knockout win would only be seen as him taking advantage of a 58-year-old legend, while a loss would be a complete career-ender.
Cormier was joined by former Paul opponent Ben Askren to discuss the fight on their "Funky and the Champ" podcast, and explained that: “I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I watch Jake Paul get pressed to where he starts to feel uncomfortable, and it looked like Mike Perry had a chance.
“But then Jake has a reserve tank to go to and get and draw from because he's 28 years old. Then he comes back and ultimately finishes Mike Perry. Early in the fight, Mike Perry is getting beat on, dropped, he looks out-maned, he looks outmatched.
“That is my concern, because what if this looks like 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man, where Mike can't draw from that reserve tank to stay and compete with this young kid? I think it's a lose-lose for Jake Paul.
“Because if you beat up Mike Tyson, everybody loves Mike Tyson. What if Mike knocks him out, though? Then it's over. Everything's done. It would be an all-time backfire. Nothing's ever been done like that in the history of the sport if he gets knocked out."
Francis Ngannou believes Mike Tyson will ‘whoop’ Jake Paul
While many fans and experts believe that age will be too much of a factor to overcome, Mike Tyson’s protege Francis Ngannou isn’t so sure. He trained under the legendary heavyweight champion for his boxing debut against Tyson Fury, and feels the 58-year-old still has too much for Paul.
"I think Tyson will still beat his a** up," Ngannou told Bloody Elbow when asked for his thoughts on the fight at a recent PFL promotional event. "He's definitely not as he was when he was young but when he moves around you and shows you something, you're like, 'What the hell is this?'
"That's something that people don't understand about Mike Tyson. He moves from your left to your right in the blink of an eye."
Jake Paul reacts to fighters backing him to be knocked out
Paul has been delighted at the amount of people who are doubting him, claiming that it makes the challenge in his move to heavyweight all the more exciting. He is one of the most divisive figures in the fight game, and has taken pride in trolling many UFC stars and boxers in recent memory.
"I love it," Paul said in response to Ngannou's brutal prediction for his next fight, which will be his fourth in 11 months. "It's not going to be an easy fight. I think the first four rounds are going to be very difficult for me.
"And if I can weather the storm of Mike Tyson, the baddest man, hardest puncher on the planet, then I believe I can pull ahead in the later rounds and be able to stop him actually. But Francis is not wrong. I often times get scared of like that one punch and I have to be alert the whole time."
