Mike Tyson is set to face Jake Paul in an exhibition bout on July 20 and the former heavyweight champion has opened up on his nerves ahead of the fight.

Mike Tyson has some nerves before fighting Jake Paul (Image: Getty)

Boxing great Mike Tyson has said he’s “scared to death” about his upcoming fight with Jake Paul, but he thinks being nervous is good for him. ‘Iron Mike’, will be boxing again on July 20.

He’s going to fight Jake Paul, who became famous on YouTube before turning his attention to boxing. The pair will meet at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas in a money-spinning bout streamed live on Netflix.

Tyson last fought in November 2020 against Roy Jones Jr. He’s confirmed his new fight with Paul is being classified as an exhibition, so it won’t count on their official boxing records.

Tyson shared his thoughts with Fox News, admitting he is “scared to death” but expects that feeling to subside by fight night. He said: “I have a weird personality – I don’t think it’s weird though. Whatever I’m afraid to do, I do it. That’s how it is.

Tyson and Paul will fight on July 20 (Image: netflix/Instagram)

“I was afraid of the Roy [Jones] fight. I was 100 pounds overweight, I was however old, 54, 53, and I said ‘Let’s do it.’ Anything I’m afraid of, I confront it. That’s my personality.

“Right now, I’m scared to death. I always believed that adversity and nervousness pretty much catapulted me into success. If I didn’t have these feelings, I wouldn’t go into this fight.

“I have to have these feelings to fight. Without them, I would never go in the ring. As the fight gets closer, the less nervous I become because it’s reality, and in reality, I’m invincible.”

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The fight against the YouTuber-turned-boxer has caused plenty of debate. Despite facing criticism from boxing purists for his transition to the ring, Paul has impressed Tyson.

“I saw a YouTube of him at 16 doing weird dances. That’s not the guy I’m gonna be fighting,” Tyson said. “This guy is gonna come, he’s gonna try to hurt me, which I’m accustomed to, and he’s gonna be greatly mistaken. Dislike him? I do not have no grudges against him, he’s beautiful – not from that perspective.”

Tyson also said he was keen to teach Paul – 30 years his junior – a lesson, though he claimed there was no bad blood between them.

Mike Tyson says the Jake Paul bout is an exhibition under “real fight” rules 👀 pic.twitter.com/N80quJ8D2g

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) April 3, 2024

‘I will do just that but dislike him? I do not have no grudges against him, he’s beautiful – not from that perspective.’

The fight between Paul and Tyson is being held at the 80,000-seater AT&T Stadium in Texas, which is the home of NFL team Dallas Cowboys.

In addition to the fight being announced as an exhibition, the rules for the fight have also been revealed.

Paul and Tyson will be wearing 16-ounce boxing gloves instead of the traditional 10-ounce gloves used in professional fights.

Two-minute rounds will be in place instead of the usual three-minute rounds and there will be no official judges ringside to score the fight.

The majority of the rules – other than the glove weight – are the same as when Tyson took on Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition bout in November 2020

The high-profile fight will take place with no headgear, with Tyson the heavy favorite to win

The only way either Paul or Iron Mike could win the fight would be if there was a knockout on the night.

It comes after Tyson hit back at ‘jealous’ critics of his fight against Paul.

‘I’m 58, and what? I’m getting billions of views from just talking about fighting,’ he told Reuters.

‘Everybody, even most of the athletes, they’re jealous… You couldn’t sell out an arena. Who at 58 can sell out an 80,000-seat arena? Why do you think he wants to fight me and not anybody else?

‘All the boxers want to fight him. But if he fought them, the only people that will come are the people that like him. Their parents might not even come watch them.’

Details of the fight have emerged, with the bout set to take place in an eight-round exhibition, meaning no winner will be declared. Rounds will likely be reduced to two minutes, and both fighters will likely wear larger gloves for safety. Paul’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, has confirmed that headgear will not be used.