Jake Paul has admitted he expects “one of us will die” when he faces Mike Tyson, who will be 58 when he steps into the ring in two months.
The controversial fight has been officially sanctioned by Texas authorities and will be included in their respective official records.
The bouts are shorter than most professional bouts, with bouts lasting eight two-minute rounds, and the gloves have an additional 14 ounces of padding instead of the usual 10 ounces.
Paul claimed it was Tyson who pushed for the fight to be recognized as a professional.
And the YouTube star is ready to put his life on the line when they finally go head-to-head in the ring on July 20th.
Jake Paul will face Mike Tyson in the ring in July
Reuters
“This is war. All is fair in love and war,” Paul said.
“I love that fighter, but the moment it becomes a professional fight, one of us has to die.
“He's taking this very seriously and that's going to make this fight great for all the fans.
“He's a killer. I'm moving up to heavyweight, so he's going to have some advantages, but that's going to make this fight exciting.”
“We both have the ability to knock you out with one punch. This is what he is destined to do and what he was born to do.
“And he was the one who wanted it to be a professional fight.
“We were thinking about the rules and Mike said, 'We want it to be a professional fight. We want to finish this kid and stop everything he's doing.'
“So I agreed to make it a professional fight, and it's as authentic as it gets.”
Many in the boxing world have expressed serious concerns about Tyson's health in future fights.
Mike Tyson will be 58 years old when he returns to the ring
Reuters
Promoter Ben Shalom is one of many who feel the fight should not be considered professional given the age difference between the two fighters.
“I'm all for entertainment, but only when it makes fun of sports,” he said.
“Given the dedication and hard work that martial artists put into their professional craft, we don't want that to go to waste.
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Jake Paul feels ready to die in the ring
Reuters
“For a 58-year-old to compete in a professional boxing match is obviously not professional, so we have to draw the line there in this fight.
“It's fine for entertainment, but it's too big of a step for me.” [making it pro]it's a circus act and it doesn't get any more ridiculous than that.
“If they try to decapitate each other, it creates a lot of medical risk for the older fighter (Tyson).”