This weekend has been deemed the mega-fight extravaganza for fans of combat sports. After a long-awaited build up, the highly anticipated fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will kick off the weekend on Friday night at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas. This fight is an officially sanctioned bout that will count toward the professional record of both fighters.
On Saturday after a long hiatus for both fighters, UFC 309 will feature Jon “Bones” Jones defending his belt against arguably the best heavyweight of all time, Stipe Miocic. Also on the UFC card is a lightweight showdown featuring fan-favorite Charles Oliveira taking on Michael Chandler.
In the Friday night showdown, the younger Jake Paul is a -200 favorite against the legend Mike Tyson. Many critics have dismissed the fight due to the significant age gap between the boxers however Paul has downplayed the critics and instead harped on the fan excitement surrounding the fight which is being documented and shown on Netflix for the first time in combat sports history.
Despite the age gap, pundits have been quick to back up Tyson mostly behind the logic of Paul’s questionable fight history which includes a former NBA player, celebrities, and what many fans consider “washed fighters”.
Paul’s corner on the other hand expects a decisive victory for the young social media maverick. One of Paul’s friends KSI had this to say regarding the upcoming fight. “Jake Paul is going to knock out Mike Tyson. This will not be close at all. Boxing is a young man’s game and Mike is 58 years old. They're sending a lamb to the slaughter.”
There are a couple of factors in the rules that lean the contest in Iron Mike’s favor. First, the eight-round fight will only have two-minute rounds rather than the usual three. This will help the older Tyson as fatigue should not be the deciding factor in this matchup between eras.
Both fighters will also be using 14-ounce gloves which neither boxer is accustomed to in an official fight. While it may dilute the power of both boxers, the experienced Tyson should be more prepared than the younger Paul.
Lastly, as many critics have pointed out, Paul’s previous fight experience is nothing compared to what he’ll face when he enters the ring against Tyson. Paul’s critics have rightly pointed out that Paul hasn't faced a true boxer in his career except for his loss to Tyson Fury in 2023.
While I am in full agreement that boxing is a younger man’s sport, it would be incredibly unwise to write off Tyson as an afterthought. He is arguably one of the greatest boxers of all-time and Jake Paul simply has not been in the ring with this caliber of talent before.
Switching gears to the UFC card, fans have been anxiously waiting for both fighters to return to the Octagon for years now. Jones's last fight was a decisive first-round submission of Ciryl Gane before a torn pectoral muscle in training sidelined Bones for the better part of a year.
Stipe on the other hand has been in semi-retirement since his title loss to Francis Ngannou in 2021. After the loss, Stipe publicly announced that he would only fight in the future in a title bout.
He got his wish as Jones moved up a weight class for the Gane fight and called Stipe out for his next fight.
As the card approaches this weekend, Jones is currently the massive betting favorite over Miocic at -725 odds. Critics are quick to point out that this is a fight Jones has not yet experienced with a true heavyweight that matches up on paper.
Jones first introduction to heavyweight with Gane was considered an easy matchup for Bones as his legendary grappling ability made quick work of Gane who possessed no wrestling ability. Jones made quick work of him on the ground to end the fight in the first round by submission. Don’t expect that to happen in this fight.
Stipe is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has his own grappling accolades to support his chances at winning this fight. Miocic famously destroyed Francis Ngannou in their first fight by taking the fight to the ground to avoid Ngannou’s legendary striking ability.
However, Jones is known as one of the most versatile fighters in the UFC’s history with the ability to win in a multitude of different ways. While I certainly don’t think this fight is as lopsided as the betting odds predict, Jones is the GOAT and has always found a way to expose his opponent.
Stipe’s experience in the heavyweight division will certainly give him an early advantage but this fight will come down to how quickly Jones adapts and finds Stipe’s weakness. Stipe’s path to victory will be avoiding a drawn-out fight on the ground and confusing Jones on their feet.
While an early KO or submission isn't in my cards, I expect the fight to either go to the cards in which case that leans towards Stipe’s favor or Jones will be looking to finish Miocic and if his legendary stamina proves to be the deciding factor, Stipe could be in trouble of being finished before the final bell.
The Paul vs. Tyson fight can be watched on Netflix at 8 pm on Friday while the UFC card kicks off Saturday night on ESPN+ with the title fight expected sometime around midnight.
