Prominent Muay Thai Coach Backs Mike Tyson Against Jake Paul: 'Jake Will Feel Mike's Hands'

Rafael Cordeiro expects former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson to give Jake Paul his toughest test.

According to Rafael Cordeiro, Mike Tyson's July 20 boxing match against Jake Paul will be anything but a gimmick.

In an interview with MMAFighting released Friday, Cordeiro, a Muay Thai coach from Kings MMA, said Tyson will take the fight seriously despite the significant age gap. Tyson, 57, hasn't competed since a Nov. 2020 exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. 

Paul, 27, is 9-1 and is coming off back-to-back wins against Ryan Bourland and Andre August.

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"Mike has such heavy hands, and it will be impossible not to touch Jake," Cordeiro said. "Jake will feel Mike’s hands, there’s no other way, and that’s when we’ll have an idea on how the fight will go. It’s going to be interesting to see.”

Cordeiro added that Tyson, unlike Paul, has fought high-level competition over the past three decades. The Ohio native will be at a disadvantage, but the famed coach gave Paul credit where it was due.

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“He’s doing great fights against great champions, facing good opponents and building a relative good career, not only financially speaking, but in terms of entertaining,” Cordeiro said. “And on the other side we have [Tyson], who carries many generations with him.”

Tyson was the biggest name in boxing throughout the '80s and '90s, quickly becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in sports history. Tyson eventually retired just after the start of the 21st century and has since rebuilt his reputation as an entrepreneur and podcaster.

Nonetheless, Tyson will attempt to show that age is just a number if he defeats Paul in Dallas, Texas.

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