Mike Tyson-Jake Paul Fight to Be Sanctioned as Professional Boxing Match

The fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will be sanctioned as a professional boxing bout by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations.

ESPN was first to report the news on Monday. The heavyweight bout will be contested over eight, two-minute rounds, and the combatants will use 14-ounce gloves. After the initial announcement of the fight, there was some question as to whether it would be an exhibition. Instead, the result will go on the professional records of both Tyson and Paul.

“Mike Tyson wanted it to be a pro fight. Netflix wanted it to be a pro fight. So I agreed to make it a pro fight,” Paul wrote on social media. “Winner takes all.”

Tyson vs. Paul will take place on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and will air on Netflix. It is Netflix’s first time broadcasting a combat sports event and will be the streaming platform’s third live sporting event overall. The bout will take place under the Most Valuable Promotions banner, a company owned by Paul.

Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) hasn’t fought professionally since 2006, when he quit on the stool at the end of the sixth round in a loss to Kevin McBride. More recently, Tyson battled Roy Jones Jr. to a split draw over eight rounds in an exhibition match in 2020. Tyson will be 58 years old by the time he squares off against Paul in July.

Paul, meanwhile, has become a big star in combat sports after initially making his name as a YouTube personality. His 9-1 boxing record includes wins over MMA notables such as Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley (twice), Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz. Most recently, “The Problem Child” vanquished Ryan Bourland via first-round KO this past March.

The 31-year age difference between Paul (27) and Tyson will be the largest ever in professional boxing, according to ESPN. Still, both parties were eager to have their bout sanctioned as a pro fight.

"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," Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in a statement to ESPN. "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."