Mike Tyson took to social media following the loss to Jake Paul on Friday night to admit that he had been dealing with significant health issues leading up to the fight that affected his ability to compete.
Although Tyson lost to Paul by unanimous decision, the 58-year-old boxer posted on Instagram shortly after the fight concluded to reveal that he “almost died in June” due to an injury and that the fight was “one of those situations when you lost but still won.”
“Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won,” he wrote in the post.
“To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you.”
Tyson also wrote in his Instagram post that he had “No regrets to get in ring one last time” and the fight was “one of those situations when you lost but still won.”
This injury is likely the reason the fight between the two boxers was rescheduled from July 20 to November 15, with reports stating that Tyson dealt with an ulcer flareup while on a flight from Los Angeles to Miami, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Tyson’s age and injury issues were evident throughout the fight. After starting the first two rounds hot, fans of the sport saw a significant decline in his ability during the final five rounds.
Paul admitted after the fight that he “wanted to give the fans a show” but chose to take it easy on Tyson when he noticed something was wrong, explaining that he “didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.”
“I tried to give the best fight I possibly could but when someone’s just surviving in the ring basically, it’s hard to make it exciting,” added Paul, per NBC News
“I couldn’t really get him to engage me or slip shots and do something super cool or whatever.”
Although there is no clear decision about who Paul will fight next, the 27-year-old has consistently said he would enjoy a matchup with boxing legend Canelo Alvarez.
“He’s going to want a payday and I want to show the world all the (stuff) I’ve been talking about beating Canelo is actually true and I’ll have the biggest upset in the history of boxing. We’ll fight to really see who is the face because after this event, I’m going to be claiming it,” Paul said, per USA Today.