ARLINGTON, Texas – Mike Tyson is set for his first sanctioned fight since 2005 ca 58 years old, former heavyweight champion takes on the much younger YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Texas.

The with eight rounds on Friday night at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys will be streamed on Netflixwhich has over 280 million subscribers globally.

Texas regulators sanctioned the match with rounds limited to just two minutes per round. Tyson and Paul, 27, will also use heavier gloves, which theoretically limits the power of the punches.

Tyson retired with a record of 50-6 and 44 knockouts after losing to Kevin McBride 19 years ago. Paul debuted as a professional boxer about four years ago and is 10-1 with seven knockouts fighting mixed martial artists and journeyman boxers.

The fight was originally scheduled for July 20, but it had to be postponed when Tyson was treated for a stomach ulcer after falling ill on a flight.

Tyson said his entertaining exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. without fans during the 2020 pandemic made him believe he could fight for real again. He became agitated by the hype as fight week progressed, slapping Paul to shorten the final showdown at Thursday night’s weigh-ins.

According to reports, Paul is getting between $40 and $20 million for Tyson. Paul mentioned his number during a press conference promoting the fight in the summer. Tyson has a history of legal and financial problems, but said he is not fighting Paul over money.

The co-main event is for the Undisputed Women’s Super Lightweight Championship as Ireland’s Katie Taylor takes on Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano.

It’s a rematch of a contested split decision won by Taylor in a sold-out Madison Square Garden slugfest two years ago. Taylor and Serrano were the first women to headline a boxing event at the historic venue.

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