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Boxing legend Mike Tyson is opening up about his recent health struggles — just one day after losing to Jake Paul in a boxing match.
On Saturday, Nov. 16, the former heavyweight title holder, 58, shared a candid statement to X (formerly Twitter), revealing that he “almost died” in June and underwent multiple blood transfusions to recover.
“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won,” Tyson wrote. “I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time.”
“I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won,” he continued. “To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you 🙏.”
The post was in reference to a life-threatening ulcer that significantly impacted the heavyweight champion’s health and forced him to postpone his initial fight with Paul, which was originally scheduled for July.
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The fighter recounts his ordeal in the Netflix documentary Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson, which was released ahead of the Nov. 15 match.
“I asked the doctor, ‘Am I going to die?’ ” Tyson recalls in the doc. “And she didn’t say no. She said we have options, though. That’s when I got nervous.”
Tyson faced off against former YouTube star Jake Paul, 27, on Friday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Thousands of fans attended the event, which was streamed live on Netflix.
Paul replied to Tyson’s statement on X with a message of support, writing, “Love you Mike. It was an honor. You’re an inspiration to us all.”
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Tyson brought a fierce competitive spirit to the match, telling ESPN reporters that he was “bringing the devil himself [to the ring]” ahead of the fight.
“There are no feelings attached. My own mother should be very careful if she has to get in the ring with me. When it’s over, it’s over. But while the process is going on, my intention is to hurt him. I hope he has the same intentions or he is in trouble,” he added.
The pair then got into a physical altercation at the Thursday, Nov. 14 weigh-in, with Tyson slapping Paul across the face. Paul was seemingly unbothered, later describing the incident as a “pinch me” moment in a post on X.