Dana White Reverses Opinion on Mike Tyson: 'I Was Wrong'

Nov 25, 2024

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC president Dana White during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

By Robert Kemboi

Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight was one of the most followed up events of the year making it hard to think of a fight in recent memory that had this much star power. Even though the fight didn't quite live up to the hype and there was a plethora of technical issues, everyone was talking about this matchup.

(UFC) President and CEO Dana White had to admit that he was wrong about the fight saying that it was so true to the ultimate fighting championship.

During a press conference White admitted that he thought this was going to be a disaster with Tyson getting knocked out immediately.

"Mike was right and I was wrong," White said. White then explained how he has constantly been worried about Tyson getting hurt in the ring because of his age, even going so far as to beg him to not schedule a fight with Roy Jones. White had the same concerns about the Jake Paul fight.

"I told him, ' Mike, you're basically 60 years old,'" White continued. "And he's like, 'You honestly think this kid's going to do anything to me? He's not good, he's not going to knock me out.'" "And you saw him, he tripped when he was walking [towards the ring], he had a hard time walking up the stairs, he had a knee brace on, and Jake Paul couldn't do anything to him."

"He made a ton of money. I know people are mad, you stayed home on a [Friday] night but you didn't pay for it."

"When Mike Tyson shows up, everybody makes money... Mike Tyson is the A+ side of that thing. And he was right, Jake Paul couldn't do anything to him."

In the end, this whole match seems like a lose-lose situation for Paul, who is 27. If he knocked Tyson out, then he's just the guy who bet up a nearly 60-year-old man. If he lost, that meant he couldn't beat a nearly 60-year-old man.

What wound up happening was that Paul won by decision, meaning he didn't have the skill or strength to knock out a man who was more than twice his age.

Meanwhile, Tyson is sitting pretty, having made $20 million and proving that he is still the top draw in the boxing world.