“The Baddest Man on the Planet” Mike Tyson makes his ring return as a pro boxer against Jake Paul on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The pair battles it out in the main event live on Netflix.
The Paul vs Tyson clash has been sanctioned by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). The professional boxing bout, contested with 14 oz gloves, is scheduled for eight by two-minute rounds at heavyweight.
Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) last fought as a pro back in June 2005 in Washington, D.C. The former undisputed heavyweight champion suffered the defeat against Kevin McBride via sixth-round RTD. In his most recent ring appearance in November 2020 in Los Angeles, the 57-year-old Brooklyn native faced fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr in an eight-round exhibition match that ended in a split draw.
Jake Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) was in action in March in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he stopped Ryan Bourland in the first round of their bout at cruiserweight. Riding a three-fight winning streak, the 27-year-old Cleveland native make his debut at heavyweight.
“Mike Tyson and Jake Paul signed on to fight each other with the desire to do so in a sanctioned professional fight that would have a definitive outcome,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “Over the past six weeks MVP has worked with its partners to satisfy the requirements of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR) to sanction Paul vs Tyson and we are grateful that we have gotten to this point.”
In the co-feature on the card, Ireland’s Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) and Amanda Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) of Puerto Rico square off in a long-awaited rematch. The contest is scheduled for 10 rounds with Taylor’s undisputed junior welterweight title at stake.
“MVP has championed fighter choice since its inception, including advocating for women’s boxing to be contested with 2 or 3 minute rounds based on the particular fight matchup. Paul vs Tyson and Taylor vs Serrano 2 will both be contested with 2 minute rounds and each mega-fight will have its winner.”
“Thank you to the TDLR and Holden Boxing for their efforts throughout this process to date and we look forward to working closely with them as we approach fight night.”
Other bouts featured on the Paul vs Tyson undercard are expected to be confirmed shortly.