Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has revealed his dream opponent from any era in boxing, just months before his return to the ring. Tyson, one of the sport’s most feared names at his peak, is set to face Jake Paul in November, marking his first professional bout in 19 years.

The highly anticipated bout was scheduled to take place in July; however, Tyson pulled out of the fight after suffering from ulcers. The postponement led to critics of the age gap between Paul and Tyson to further question the morality of the fight. Paul vs. Tyson was also licensed as a professional bout but has many rules similar to an exhibition.

Mike Tyson Chooses Floyd Mayweather As His Dream Opponent

‘Iron’ Mike Said He Would Have Used ‘Dirty’ Tactics To Win The Dream Fight

In an interview with Steve Farhood on ShoBox, Tyson disclosed that he would have loved to fight Floyd Mayweather. Despite the weight difference making a match impossible, Tyson shared his thoughts on how he would approach the fight.

"Well, I would love to have fought him. I wish he was my weight," Tyson said. "We can never fight, of course, because of the weight difference, but I wouldn’t fight him the way they fought him. I would be mean, I would be dirty. Because you’d have to do everything to fight him because he’s just so good. You can’t... it’s almost impossible to fight him clean. It’s just so hard to beat him."

Mayweather, who made his professional debut in 1996, dominated the sport and retired in 2017 with a perfect 50-0 record, including 27 knockouts.

Marcos Maidana was praised for using dirty tactics to rough up Mayweather in their first fight. The Argentine boxer took Mayweather to a draw on one of the judges' scorecards.

Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul Set For November 15, 2024

The upcoming clash with Paul will be a unique test for Tyson, who previously shared the ring with boxing legends such as Lennox Lewis, Larry Holmes, and Michael Spinks. Fans eagerly await to see how the former champion will perform in his long-anticipated return to the sport.

Tyson has vowed to knock out Jake Paul when their rescheduled fight takes place on November 15. In a video posted on X, Tyson declared, "Different date, same fate. I'm gonna knock out Jake Paul."

This bout will be Tyson's first official, non-exhibition fight since 2005. Tyson, a former world heavyweight champion with a career record of 50-6, is by far the most accomplished boxer Paul has ever faced. However, at 57 years old, Tyson is 30 years Paul's senior. Paul, 27, began his professional boxing career in 2020 and holds a 9-1 record.

Most of his victories have been against former UFC stars such as Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz. His only loss was to a legitimate boxer, Tommy Fury, but he has convincingly defeated boxers Andre August and Ryan Bourland in his last two fights.