The announcement of the boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson sent the combat sports community into a frenzy. Many notable personalities from the combat sports world have voiced their concern for the fight for the apparent age gap.
Eddie Hearn, the Matchroom boxing promoter, already expressed sadness at the fight announcement much to the dismay of Nakissa Bidarian, the co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. Conor McGregor, the former UFC champion, also stated his surprise and disinterest in the fight. UFC boss Dana White is the latest addition to the list of personalities who have shared their candid take on the bout.
Dana White’s thoughts on Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson
Dana White, the UFC CEO, is a close friend of Mike Tyson and already has a beef with Jake Paul. White revealed his thoughts about the fight in the post-fight press conference of the recently concluded UFC 299.
“I love Mike Tyson, you know, personally, as a friend, and he’s one of my favorite athletes of all time”, said White. “I don’t like to see guys fighting at a 31-year age difference,” Dana White further added as he went on to explicitly criticize making gimmicky spectacles out of professional boxing events.
Dana White co-promoted the crossover boxing event between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in what was one of the biggest events in professional boxing. However, since then, the UFC has strayed away from such events due to the repercussions of McGregor vs Mayweather.
Jake Paul recently called out Sean Strickland, the former UFC middleweight champion, for a sparring match. However, Strickland revealed via social media that he has contractual obligations with the UFC who think that Paul does not pull enough numbers.
Dana White comments on Netflix hosting Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson
Netflix will be making its debut in streaming live sports with Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson and Dana White, the UFC CEO, already revealed his disinterest towards the event. However, he did praise the decision of the streaming platform for the decision to dip their toes in live sports.
“I think Netflix should have gotten into live sports years ago. I think they’re late to the game, but they are a force,” said Dana White who went on to state that the global reach of the streaming platform will make them a force to be reckoned with.
“As all these massive streaming companies start to get bigger and bigger, they have to be involved in live sports,” White concluded his statement as he cited Netflix’s decision as a gradual part of development for streaming platforms.
The UFC currently has a deal with EPSN for $1.5 billion which will expire in 2025 and Dana White subtly hinted that they will be talking to all streaming platforms after that. The UFC’s status as the fastest-growing sports promotion in the world makes them enticing for streaming platforms.
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