It doesn't sound like UFC president Dana White is losing sleep over Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul being postponed. White has repeatedly criticized the boxing match despite his friendship with Tyson. White's latest rant on the matter might be his most explosive.
"When this fight happens, Tyson will be 58 f---ing years old," White told the "Flagrant" podcast on Wednesday. "A f---ing 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---ing ridiculous."
White hammered home the 30-year age gap between Tyson and Paul. Tyson has not fought professionally since June 2005 despite battling Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition match in November 2020. The UFC boss also criticized Paul's matchmaking. The YouTuber turned professional boxer elevated his stock primarily by boxing UFC fighters who were a combination of older, smaller or lacked traditional boxing experience.
White pointed to Paul's split decision loss to Tommy Fury in February 2023, noting how Paul fell short when he fought someone comparable in age and experience.
"My biggest problem with the Jake Paul thing and how this plays out is, when he actually fought somebody who was a boxer, who had the same type of record he has, who was his age, who is his size, he f---ing lost," White said. "So, they're never gonna go that f---ing route again, right?"
Tyson vs. Paul was scheduled to air on July 20 on Netflix, but a mid-flight medical scare stemming from an "ulcer flare-up" forced all parties to postpone the fight. White criticized anyone foolish enough to pay for a Tyson vs. Paul fight but applauded the brilliance of streaming the fight on Netflix, a service that nearly 270 million people subscribe to, according to Statista.
"If you can keep getting paid, right? One hundred percent [do it]," White said. "If you got people that are f---ing dumb enough to pay for that s--t then f---ing, you know, good for you. Brilliant move [going to Netflix], too, because you don't have to go pay. Everybody has f---ing Netflix. Just turn it on. Ah, f--- it. I'll turn it on and see what happens.
"I'm not against it. I love Mike Tyson. He's f---ing almost 60 years old, you know what I mean? My f---ing back is killing me today. Killing me. I have no idea why. I guess it's because I'm fifty-f---ing-four. This guy [Paul] is 27, he's in his prime as a human, and it's f---ing ridiculous. I love Mike and nobody wants to see Mike get beat by this f---ing jerk off."
