Jake Paul may have already lined up a replacement opponent amid concerns over Mike Tyson‘s health heading into their fight on July 20.
The controversial Netflix bout between Paul, 27, and Tyson – who will be 58 when he climbs back through the ropes this summer – had already drawn criticism due to the boxing legend’s age and the fact he has not competed professionally for 19 years.
And to add to the concerns over his safety, ‘Iron’ Mike suffered a medical emergency on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles over the weekend.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion became nauseous and dizzy due to an ulcer flare up, forcing flight staff to ask passengers if there was a doctor on board to provide assistance.
Paramedics boarded the plane, which had already been delayed by two hours in Miami because of the heat, once it touched down in LA to give treatment, before Tyson is said to have made a quick recovery.
Despite his representatives claiming he is ‘doing great’ after the health scare, it remains to be seen whether Tyson passes medical tests and is deemed fit to fight Paul this summer.
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Though should he fail those tests or pull out himself, former UFC star Chael Sonnen says he is the man lined up to replace the 57-year-old.
In a series of posts on X, Sonnen claimed Paul wrote him into the contract as Tyson’s backup, while suggesting that his June 15 boxing match against old UFC rival Anderson Silva in Brazil is a tune-up ahead of that potential opening.
‘I guess it was wise of Jake Paul to write me into the contract as Tyson’s backup, wasn’t it???’ the ex-MMA fighter said in light of Tyson’s health scare.
‘If Jake Paul realizes he might be fighting ME in a month, HE may be the one having a heart attack’.
He then added: ‘…Maybe the Anderson Silva tune-up with @spatenbr makes a little more sense now, doesn’t it…? #MasterPlan’.
While Sonnen claims he is waiting in the wings, Tyson insists he is back to ‘100 per cent’ following his medical scare.
He wrote on social media: ‘Now feeling 100% even though I don’t need to be to beat Jake Paul.’
Sonnen spent four years in the UFC, challenging for the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight titles and ultimately coming up short in defeats to MMA icons Silva and Jon Jones.
In Touch first revealed on Monday morning that Tyson ‘had some kind of medical emergency on the plane and paramedics boarded’.
Sources claim the cabin crew ‘issued an announcement asking for a doctor 30 minutes before landing and the message even came on everyone’s screens.’
‘He was in first class, but we were an exit row,’ an eyewitness added.
‘They asked us to stay on the plane and landed so paramedics could enter. [The stewardess] said something like, “He’s a really important passenger so we wanna make sure he’s OK.” I knew it was him, but I just mouthed the words “Mike Tyson” and she nodded her head yes.’
Once the plane landed at LAX, there was another delay of around 25 minutes while the paramedics treated Tyson.
Tyson, who has previously admitted he uses marijuana daily, has given the drug up while training to fight Paul because it is on the list of banned substances used by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
He also revealed he’s given up sex temporarily as part of his training regime.