Mike Tyson's honest opinion of Jake Paul as reason he pulled out of fight emerges

Mike Tyson has confessed he's quite fond of Jake Paul despite their upcoming boxing battle. The 58-year-old heavyweight icon is set to square off with the Ohio-born internet personality on November 15 - a clash that's divided opinions due to the significant age difference, with Tyson being 31 years senior to Paul.

Concerns have been raised about Tyson's health and safety ahead of the fight, which unlike previous exhibition matches, will be officially recorded on their professional records, ramping up the stakes for Paul who might be eyeing a knockout victory over his older adversary.

The bout had to be rescheduled following Tyson's stomach ulcer issues, with medical advice at one point suggesting he pull out from facing the former Disney actor. However, Tyson has since announced his recovery and tightened control over his diet, declaring himself ready to meet Paul in the ring.

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Anticipating the encounter at the immense AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Tyson can't deny his fondness for Paul but remains determined to win. Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel Live, Tyson remarked: "I like him but in this particular fight he has to go. I don't look at this like it's going to be an easy right. This guy is going to be prepared, but I'm prepared for it sure."

Addressing the idea that Paul might fear the confrontation, Tyson acknowledged: "Well, that's part of fighting, I'm nervous too. But the closer it gets to the fight, the least nervous I get."

"I'm training extremely hard. I start at 11am and I might leave the gym at 5pm. When I finish doing my boxing sessions, I'll get a massage for an hour and then I go into strength and conditioning."

These recent comments contrast with his previous admission that he let his diet and vaping habit spiral out of control in the lead-up to their original fight date. In a chat with the Daily Mail, he confessed he "can't escape the vapes" and that he was "doing too much bad food and stuff, and I got sick".

Given that this bout will impact his current fighting record of 50 wins, 44 knockouts and six losses, many believe this fight could influence his legacy. However, Tyson is unfazed.

He continued: "I didn't take this fight for legacy. I think legacy really, to my perspective, legacy is ego. Who gives a f*** how people think about them when they are gone? I'm dead. I can't value off what somebody might think about me when I'm dead, so it means nothing to me."

Tyson hasn't fought competitively since his defeat to Kevin McBride back in 2005. On the other hand, Paul has 10 victories (seven knockouts) and one loss under his belt, and recently defeated bare-knuckle boxing champion Mike Perry in July, scoring knockdowns in rounds one, two and six.