After Jake Paul's fight with Mike Tyson was pushed back due to "Iron Mike's" health issues, the popular YouTuber has filled the original fight date with a new challenger.
Paul will instead square off against the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship's (BKFC) "Platinum" Mike Perry in an eight-round cruiserweight bout on July 20.
"When Paul vs. Tyson was rescheduled, I knew immediately that I wanted to still fight on Saturday, July 20. Now, as I prepare for my fight against Iron Mike, there's no better opponent for me than Mike Perry," Paul said in a statement to ESPN. "He's a proven knockout artist who has shown to be a maniac in and out of the ring.
"This is the perfect experience for me to gain in advance of facing Mike Tyson. But getting that experience comes with risk. Those who know me know I'm a risk taker, and while 'Platinum' Perry might try to end me, I'm Titanium Jake Paul and I fear no man."
Perry (5-0, 3 KOs BKFC) fought in the UFC from 2016-2021, going 7-8 before leaving to join the BKFC. The 32-year-old has been one of the sport's main attractions, beating the likes of former UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez, and earning the "King of Violence" championship.
"Jake Paul claims he fears no man, but on Saturday, July 20, the world will see the truth: he just made the worst mistake of his life in trying to get through me before Iron Mike," said Perry. "I'm going to make it look easy on Saturday, July 20th, and I'm going to teach Jake Paul the most he's ever learned about fighting."
Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) and Tyson's match was pushed back to Nov. 15 after the 57-year-old suffered an ulcer flareup on May 26 during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. Medical officials advised Tyson to postpone the fight and to limit his training until his condition improved.
Tyson, who hasn't fought professionally since 2005, will be 58 by the time the fight happens in November. When Paul and Tyson face off in the ring, there will be a 31-year age gap — the largest in the history of professional boxing.
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