Mike Tyson’s highly anticipated return to the boxing ring ended in a one-sided defeat at the hands of YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Friday night in Arlington, Texas. The 58-year-old Tyson, who hadn’t fought professionally in 19 years, struggled throughout the eight-round bout, landing only 18 of his 97 punches. Paul dominated the fight, winning by unanimous decision with scores of 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73 from all three judges.
Despite the lopsided nature of the defeat, Tyson remained upbeat about his performance. “I came to fight,” Tyson said after the bout. “I didn’t prove nothing to anybody, only to myself… I’m just happy with what I can do.”
However, it was Tyson’s lighthearted response to a question about his behavior during the fight that stole the spotlight.
When asked about his actions in the ring, specifically why he appeared to be chewing on his gloves, Tyson replied with a grin, “It happened to be I was biting my gloves.” He added, “I have a biting fixation,” drawing laughter from the ring-side audience.
This remark, a humorous reference to his notorious past, immediately recalled Tyson’s infamous 1997 rematch against Evander Holyfield, where Tyson bit off a portion of Holyfield’s ear during their fight, resulting in his disqualification. The incident remains one of the most controversial moments in boxing history, and Tyson’s latest “biting fixation” comment served as a tongue-in-cheek reminder of that troubled chapter of his career.
Tyson’s return to the ring had been highly anticipated, but he struggled against Paul, who landed 78 of his 278 punches. Despite his performance, Tyson praised Paul’s boxing skills, saying, “He’s a very good fighter,” and refused to rule out a future return to the ring. “I don’t know. It depends on the situation,” Tyson said when asked about fighting again. “I don’t think so,” he added, when pressed further.
Tyson’s return to boxing was heavily hyped, and he reportedly earned $20 million for the fight. The bout marked his first official match since 2005, when he was defeated by Kevin McBride.