The former undisputed heavyweight champion hasn’t fought professionally since journeyman Kevin McBride stopped him in the sixth round of their 2005 fight.

Now he is set to return to the ring at the age of 58, the same age his old rival Evander Holyfield was when he made an ill-fated comeback against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort in September 2021.

Evander Holyfield suffered a tough KO loss in a comeback fight

Holyfield, who has two famous wins over Tyson, decided to take a fight against Belfort on short notice when the UFC superstar’s original opponent, Oscar De La Hoya, was forced out of their bout after contracting COVID-19.

Like Tyson’s upcoming fight against Paul Holyfield’s return to the ring, this led to medical concerns.

The former two-weight world champion looked like a shell of his former self and was tossed around by the first meaningful shot Belfort landed. Moments later, ‘The Phenom’ dropped him before unleashing an onslaught of punches as Holyfield got back to his feet.

Holyfield had no answer and was eventually saved by the referee who waved the fight off after just 109 seconds.

Footage of Holyfield’s disastrous comeback is consistently shared on social media, as fans express concern that Tyson will suffer the same fate or worse against a man 31 years his junior.

Tyson must undergo two medical tests before he is cleared to face Paul tomorrow night, but even if he does, some people will still be thrilled to see his comeback scrapped.

Mike Tyson releases statement due to health concerns

Tyson was forced to release a statement expressing concerns about his health.

‘Iron Mike’ is grateful to his fans for looking out for him, but he is confident he will emerge from his fight with Paul unscathed.

“Time changes (a person), I was a different person then, and it’s time for me to come back,” Tyson said.

“I was a different person (when I last fought professionally in 2005)…I was using narcotics and alcohol back then and I’m not that person anymore. I see a better image of myself, I see light, I see the world from a different perspective now.”

“Thank you very much for worrying, but I’m fighting… I’ll be fine.

“I feel great; On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I boxed eight rounds. Listen, I’m sparring young guys and they’re hitting me really hard; it was no fun when I first started training, these young guys used to beat me up first.”

“I do my thing. I was born to do this, I was built for this kind of thing, I was born to sell out a stadium – this is what I wanted to do all my life.”

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