Chalk up another one for Jake Paul.
On Saturday night in Tampa, Florida former Disney star Paul scored the 10th win of his boxing career with a comprehensive sixth-round knockout of former UFC welterweight Mike Perry. The bout, which was hastily-arranged after Paul’s original opponent Mike Tyson withdrew due to medical reasons, was billed as an appetiser of sort for the Tyson bout, which remains tentatively scheduled for November 15.
However, following the win over Perry Paul made clear that he was also casting glances elsewhere by issuing a challenge to the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira — though that hypothetical fight is a near impossibility given his contractual obligations to the UFC (as well as Dana White’s reluctance to cross-promote and his general disdain for Paul).
But if the 58-year-old Tyson is unable to compete later this year, another fighter best known for his exploits in the mixed martial arts space has put his hand up to step in: Darren Till.
“Pereira is under contract & Mike Tyson is in no fit state,” Englishman Till wrote in a message posted to social media. “I am the same size & weight, Are we fighting or not? I got ducked the last pull out with Tyson & they got that midget Perry to step in instead of me.
“I’m here & I am going to say nothing else. I’ll wait for the call.”
Till later elaborated on the situation to Submission Radio. “I didn’t even watch the fight,” he said, as noted by Bloody Elbow. “But from the clips I’ve seen it was atrocious, it was just low-level striking, Jake Paul was gassed after the first round — to be honest, I don’t even know what Mike was doing in there… I’m actually quite speechless, Jake was terrible and so was Mike.”
Following last Saturday’s fight, Paul said that the November 15 date for the Tyson fight remains on — but there will likely be a long list of potential replacements should the veteran former heavyweight champion be unable to make the date.
