The recent trend in combat sports has shifted to crossover bouts and strange matchups. There is no better example than the upcoming fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. UFC star Dustin Poirier, however, isn’t very happy with this. ‘The Diamond’ believes that some fights are better left in the realm of fantasy.
Poirier recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul bout. And he’s not exactly rolling out the red carpet for this spectacle. ‘The Diamond’ expressed his disapproval of the bout on the MMA Hour.
“I didn’t want that to happen. The guy is 60 years old. I didn’t want that to happen. And I hope it doesn’t. I don’t want to see Tyson go out there and get hurt,” said Poirier.
The Louisiana native genuinely worries about ‘Iron Mike’ stepping into the ring at 58. His reasoning is very sound, though. Poirier also pointed out the significant 31-year age gap between the fighters.
Poirier’s sentiment echoes the thoughts of many boxing fans and fighters alike. They’d rather see Tyson shadowboxing in documentaries than take real punches from the YouTuber-turned-boxer. With the initial fight date postponed and no tentative date yet decided, ‘The Diamond’ hopes the matchup never materializes.
UFC CEO Not A Fan Of Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul
Controversial matchups are nothing new in combat sports. But the upcoming Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul bout has even the UFC CEO shaking his head in disagreement. Dana White shared his unfiltered thoughts on the fight. And he is not exactly a fan of this.
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White was present on the Flagrant Podcast and was asked whether he had any part in the makings of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. The UFC CEO had an explosive reaction to this question.
“God, no. When this fight happens, Tyson will be 58 f*****g years old. A f*****g almost 60-year-old man shouldn’t be fighting a 27-year-old guy. Under any circumstances. Even if it’s Mike Tyson, it’s just f*****g ridiculous,” White replied.
Just like Dustin Poirier, the UFC CEO’s primary concern is also the age difference between the fighters. White also referenced Paul’s loss to Tommy Fury, suggesting Team Paul avoids similarly matched opponents in favor of aged or retired opponents. Of course, White’s opinion might not carry much weight with Tyson or Paul. The allure of a big payday and massive viewership is definitely hard to resist.
Also Read: Alex Pereira Accepts Jake Paul’s Boxing Callout- “Let’s Go, Chama”
