Despite losing his boxing match to Jake Paul, Mike Tyson said in a social media post on Saturday that he had “no regrets” about being in the ring “one last time.”
The boxing legend was defeated by social media star Jake Paul in a long-awaited battle on Friday night with an age difference of more than three decades between the two contenders.
Netflix said this on Saturday 60 million households worldwide watched to watch the match. The two fighters went eight full roundswith each round lasting two minutes. Paul defeated Tyson by unanimous decision and the 27-year-old upset boxer and 58-year-old former heavyweight champion embraced afterwards.
Paul was expected to earn approximately $40 million from the fight, and according to DraftKings and other online reports, Tyson was expected to receive around $20 million for the fight.
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Tyson said on his social media that “this is one of those situations where you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night.”
The fight almost didn’t happen after Tyson experienced a flare-up of a stomach ulcer during a plane trip in March. He spoke about his illness on Saturday, writing that he “almost died in June.” He said he had eight blood transfusions and “lost half my blood and 25 pounds in the hospital and had to fight to get healthy so I won.”
Tyson retired from boxing in 2005 after a twenty-year career. He last fought in a 2020 exhibition match against former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr.
“For my kids to see me stand toe-to-toe and finish eight rounds with a talented fighter half my age, in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy Stadium, is an experience no one has the right to ask for. Thank you,” he said.
Alex Sundby and Anne Marie Lee contributed to this report.
