Jake Paul calls out KSI for July 20 fight as new Mike Tyson plan emerges
Jake Paul called on KSI (Olajide Olatunji) to take the place of Mike Tyson, who had to drop out of their July 20 fight after suffering an ulcer flare-up.
Jake Paul has once again taken aim at an old rival after his highly anticipated fight against Mike Tyson was postponed. The 27-year-old called out YouTuber KSI (Olajide Olatunji) on Saturday, challenging him to a fight in July.
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One day prior, Paul’s bout with Tyson was postponed following the 57-year-old’s ulcer flare-up while onboard a weekend flight from Miami to Los Angeles. Addressing the medical emergency, Tyson divulged: "I want to thank my fans around the world for their support and understanding during this time. Unfortunately, due to my ulcer flareup, I have been advised by my doctor to lighten my training for a few weeks to rest and recover.
“My body is in better overall shape than it has been since the 1990s and I will be back to my full training schedule soon. Jake Paul, this may have bought you some time, but in the end you will still be knocked out and out of boxing for good. I appreciate everyone’s patience and can't wait to deliver an unforgettable performance later this year.”
The bombshell news has now left Jake without an opponent for his scheduled headline fight at AT&T Stadium in Texas on July 20. Taking to social media, the YouTuber-turned-boxer called on another content creator to take Tyson’s place.
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“KSI’s coach saying he is over 200lbs right now? So no weight excuses,” Paul wrote on X. “Let’s run it for July 20th and then Paul Tyson in October / November.”
In response to Paul's challenge, KSI wrote: "I’ve already got a fight lined up in August. Instead of you fighting an OAP at the end of the year (no one wants to see this), fight me in December instead." When pressed further, he offered to face Paul at 185 pounds in December, adding: "You asked for 185 Jake ... the old folks home has run out of options. This is all just noise. You don’t really want to fight. December, let’s run it at 185."
A faceoff between KSI and Paul has seemingly been brewing for quite some time. Though the pair verbally agreed to fight back in 2018, it never came to fruition. Negotiations surrounding what weight the bout would be fought at reportedly reached a standstill, as KSI wanted both boxers to clock in at 180 pounds.
During an appearance on the Full Send Podcast last year, Paul revealed it wasn’t feasible for him to drop down to that weight. “KSI denied fighting me because I wouldn’t agree to getting down to 180 pounds,” he said. “He wanted 180 pounds with a rehydration clause. First, I don’t think I can get to 180. I usually fight at 185, and that’s already the maximum where I can get to. With the rehydration clause, I basically couldn’t drink water.”
KSI went on to fight Tommy Fury at 183 pounds last October. On the heels of suffering a split decision defeat to the brother of heavyweight Tyson Fury, the 30-year-old conceded that he had momentarily stepped away from boxing.
“Right now, I feel like I’ve retired,” KSI said on the Impaulsive podcast. “It’s weird. I haven’t trained since the fight. I’ve just enjoyed my life. It’s weird. It’s all these things that I would normally do, and I can relax.
“I think for right now, I’m kind of just enjoying myself. Yeah, we’ll see [about fighting again]. My girlfriend has loved [the time off]. She’s like, ‘He’s back finally!’ We can go out to the restaurant and eat, and he can eat anything! We can go on holiday. We can vibe.”
It remains to be seen if KSI would consider stepping back into the ring with Paul. Given their touchy history and large followings, the fight would undoubtedly draw considerable attention.
