Vitor Belfort, the former UFC fighter who beat Evander Holyfield, has downplayed Mike Tyson’s chances of beating Jake Paul in their money-spinning exhibition fight.
Tyson, 58, is coming out of retirement to face YouTuber-turned-Boxer Paul, 27, in a highly-anticipated fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 20.
The former heavyweight champion is widely recognized as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, but he has only had one fight since ending his professional career in 2005 – fighting Roy Jones Jr to a draw in December 2020.
Belfort knows something about fighting a boxer way past their best, as he knocked out Tyson’s former rival Holyfield in just 109 seconds when he was 58 – the same age as ‘Iron Mike’.
The Brazilian revealed that even with his preparation and training, Holyfield was no match for him – and predicts that will be the case for Tyson too.
“When I fought Holyfield, he was very strong and very fit, but I was the better man on that night,” Belfort said WBN.
“If he hit me, I could have gone down – that is the nature of the sport. However, I hit him first. This fight feels more like an exhibition, and I don’t think Mike is the same fighter he used to be.”
Money the big motivator
Tyson has posted a series of video clips on social media showing his remarkable level of fitness and power behind his punches after facing questions over his fitness to fight Paul.
He is set to earn a $20million payday just for stepping into the ring, according to UFC icon Henry Cejudo.
