Life can throw some unexpected punches. The Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson live boxing event scheduled for July 20, 2024 has been postponed due to Tyson’s recent ulcer flare-up. Tyson will need to pause training, and the fight against Paul will be rescheduled for later in the year.

“I want to thank my fans around the world for their support and understanding during this time. Unfortunately, due to my ulcer flare-up, I have been advised by my doctor to lighten my training for a few weeks to rest and recover,” Tyson told Netflix. “My body is in better overall shape than it has been since the 1990s and I will be back to my full training schedule soon. Jake Paul, this may have bought you some time, but in the end you will still be knocked out and out of boxing for good. I appreciate everyone’s patience and can’t wait to deliver an unforgettable performance later this year.”

“I fully support postponing the event so Mike Tyson has no excuses come fight night,” Paul told Netflix. “My fans know I don’t want to face Iron Mike at anything but his best, but let there be no mistake — when he steps into the ring with me, I will be ready to claim my W with a sensational finish. Paul vs. Tyson will be one for the ages, and I promise to bring my best for this once-in-a-lifetime matchup.”

Previously purchased tickets for Paul vs. Tyson will be honored for the new date. No action is needed to keep current tickets and current seat locations. Those unable to attend the rescheduled date are eligible for a refund at their original point of purchase. To request a refund, contact SeatGeek at [email protected] with the subject line “Paul vs. Tyson.”

Further details will be provided in the coming weeks. Check back for more updates, and view the full statement from Most Valuable Promotions below:

For more information about the fight taking place later this year, read on. 

For the first time ever, Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) are teaming up for a heavyweight boxing mega-event headlined by the Problem Child, Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (9-1, 6 KOs), versus the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs). In the co-main event, undisputed super lightweight world champion Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) will step back in the ring against boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs).

Paul, Tyson, Taylor, and Serrano met face-to-face on May 13 at the iconic Apollo Theater in New York City to discuss the upcoming fight in an event hosted by renowned boxing journalist Ariel Helwani. 

“Mike wanted this to be a pro fight,” Paul said during the press conference. “He wants the war. I respect him for stepping up and try to put an end to me.”

Tyson was praising of Paul’s character, but didn’t mince words.

“I really like Jake a lot,” Tyson told the crowd, “But once he’s in the ring he has to fight like his life depends on it — because it will.”

Also during the conference, unified featherweight champion Serrano spoke to the challenge of ascending three divisions to fight Taylor in a lightweight rematch, which requires her to gain about 14 pounds. 

“Greatness requires sacrifice,” Serrano said. “I’m sacrificing my body to go up three divisions. My power is going to come with me.” 

Taylor spoke to the rematch as well, noting that she has no plans to carry on the Serrano vs. Taylor rivalry after the fight later this year. Their infamous 2022 bout at Madison Square Garden ended in a narrow split decision in Taylor’s favor, earning Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year for 2022 honors. 

“I go into every fight planning to win,” Taylor said when asked if she was planning to put the rivalry to bed. “I beat her the first time and I plan on beating her the second time. The trilogy is not on my mind right now.

Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix

Is Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson a sanctioned fight?

Despite speculation that Paul vs. Tyson would be an unofficial exhibition match, MVP and Holden Boxing announced on April 29 that the heavyweight boxing mega-event will officially be a professional fight, sanctioned by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). The matchup will be contested over eight two-minute rounds with 14-ounce gloves and no headgear. 

“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 told Netflix. He added that the decision to have two-minute rounds instead of three (the typical length for men’s boxing) was an effort to stay true to MVP’s belief that the parameters of sanctioned matches should be determined by the fight (as opposed to adhering to traditional men’s vs. women’s rules). 

“MVP has championed fighter choice since its inception, including advocating for women’s boxing to be contested with two- or three-minute rounds based on the particular fight matchup,” Bidarian said. “Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 will both be contested with two-minute rounds, and each mega-fight will have its winner.”

Who’s on the current Paul vs. Tyson undercard? 

On May 21, it was announced that India’s No. 1 boxer and MVP’s first international signee Neeraj Goyat (18-4-2, 8 KOs) will fight Brazil’s Whindersson Nunes (2-2-1, 1 KO) in a professional six-round super middleweight bout contested at 165 pounds. The fight will be Goyat’s MVP debut.

Also announced on the Paul vs. Tyson card is a fight between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Darren Till. Scheduled for six rounds in the cruiserweight division, the event will be UK UFC star Till’s professional boxing debut against former WBC middleweight Chavez Jr (53-6-1, 1 NC), the son of Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez.

Finally, there will be a 10-round lightweight fight between undefeated prospects Ashton “H2O” Sylve (11-0, 9 KOs) and Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs). 

When was Mike Tyson’s last fight? 

Tyson’s last sanctioned match took place in 2005 against Irish boxer Kevin McBride. The fight lasted six rounds, and McBride was declared the winner by TKO. However, Tyson’s last exhibition match was much more recent. In May 2021, he faced Evander Holyfield in Miami. The fight went the full eight rounds and ended in a draw. Despite Tyson’s long career, he says Paul’s short time in boxing shouldn’t be an indicator of what he’ll bring to the match. 

“[Jake has] grown significantly as a boxer over the years,” Tyson says of his opponent, who turned pro in 2020 and was the subject of the documentary anthology series UNTOLD in Jake Paul the Problem Child. “It will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of a ‘kid’ can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT.”

The event marks Paul’s most anticipated fight to date, following back-to-back sensational knockouts against professional boxers and Golden Gloves winners Ryan Bourland this month and Andre August in December 2023. 

“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard,” Paul told Netflix. “Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have w

hat it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons.”

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will be Netflix’s third live sports event, following The Netflix Cup and The Netflix Slam.