Jake Paul and Mike Tyson have been suspended by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) following their highly anticipated fight. The pair received the mandatory minimum suspension period, which in this case is 24 days, following their fight in Arlington.
TDLR rules stipulate that each fighter must rest at least three days for each round fought. Since the YouTuber-turned-boxer and former undisputed heavyweight champion only fought for eight rounds, they will be suspended for 24 days, MMA Junkie reported.
Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor are also facing bans. Their fight went down to the wire, with Taylor emerging victorious via unanimous decision, resulting in both stars being sidelined for over a month with a 45-day suspension.
Although the Serrano-Taylor fight showed incredible determination and strength, Paul-Tyson’s main event seemed to lack the same intensity. After an early burst from the 58-year-old Tyson, he seemed to tire quickly, allowing Paul to capitalize on his opponent’s waning stamina.
After eight rounds of uninspiring boxing, the 27-year-old was declared the winner by unanimous decision, with Paul paying tribute to Tyson in the final moments of the last round. In a post-fight speech to his supporters, Paul apologised for not knocking out Tyson, despite previously promising to do so.
“I regret not knocking him out,” Paul said, as his entourage nodded in agreement that he had taken the honourable route by not knocking down the 58-year-old icon. He confessed that he held back his punches when he noticed Tyson faltering as the fight progressed.
“After seeing him tired, I didn’t want to hurt him too much, but I wanted the fans to have a good experience,” he added. Paul also mentioned that facing Tyson felt “different” to his previous fights, noting that a calmer mindset allowed him to anticipate Tyson’s moves and prepare more effectively.
“Fighting in a stadium is less personal and less noisy, so it’s less stressful,” he observed. “It’s harder to fight in stadiums. When I came out, I was calm, cool and collected.