Boxing legend Mike Tyson said he has no regrets over his defeat to Jake Paul, the social media influencer turned award-winning fighter, adding that he was on the verge of death in June due to health problems.
Tyson was defeated by unanimous decision on Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, much to the disappointment of fans as the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion showed his age and was never able to spark an offense against his younger opponent.
The fight was initially scheduled for July, but was postponed after Tyson suffered a severe ulcer.
“This is one of those situations where you lost but you won. I’m grateful for last night. I don’t regret getting into the ring for the last time,” Tyson wrote in a post on X.
“I almost died in June. I had eight blood transfusions. I lost half my blood and 25 pounds (11 kilograms) in the hospital and had to fight to get healthy so I could fight, so I won.”
“Seeing my kids go head-to-head and finish eight rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy Stadium is an experience no one has the right to ask for. Thank you.”
The match was broadcast live on a popular online streaming platform, although a hiccup during the live broadcast prompted more than 90,000 users to report issues at the peak, outage tracking website Downdetector showed.
However, the live streaming platform returned to work on Saturday, after an outage of about six hours in the United States.