Kevin McBride, the last man to beat Mike Tyson in the ring, has warned Jake Paul that he could be bitten by the 58-year-old during their Netflix fight.
Tyson, a two-time world heavyweight champion, will take part in his first professional fight in 19 years as he faces Paul, a YouTube star turned boxer, at AT&T Stadium in Texas on Friday night.
Tyson’s last professional fight was in 2005 where he was beaten by Irish heavyweight McBride after six rounds.
McBride landed several heavy shots on Tyson but has revealed that Iron Mike, who was 38 at the time of his defeat, bit him on the nipple and tried to break his arm during the bout.
‘It’s crazy, boxing is the most beautiful sport in the world, the unknown is the great factor in boxing,’ McBride told Bloody Elbow.
‘I remember Mike Tyson trying to bite. In the sixth round, he hit me so hard, I remember I thought there were leprechauns playing drums in my head.
‘I grabbed hold of him and said, ‘is that all you’ve got?’. He didn’t say anything but he’s biting his glove, then he tried to bite my nipple off, tried to break my arm.
‘The most excruciating pain I ever went through, I remember vividly, pulling away and my nipple slipping off his mouthpiece. Thank god he didn’t spit out his mouthpiece otherwise I’d have no nipples, he’s crazy.
‘He tried to break my arm, I could feel the energy sapping out of him, I caught him with good, heavy shots near the end of the sixth round, uppercuts, I could feel the energy leaving him.
‘I know they said it was a push to the ground but there wasn’t much weight there.’
Tyson looked sharp on the pads during his open workout session this week and McBride believes his former opponent would still possess the power to score a knockout win against Paul.
‘Jake Paul is a young kid, he’s 27 years old, has youth with him but Mike Tyson’s power is unreal, I still feel it today 19 years later, he hits very, very hard,’ McBride said.
‘He’s still very dangerous, the last thing to leave you is your power. George Foreman proved that against Michael Moorer, I know he [Foreman] was 45 or whatever.
‘Tyson is getting older, very old, but power-wise he has the punch, knowing history he’ll probably knock him out.’
Tyson will fight Paul over eight two-minute rounds instead of the traditional three minutes for men’s boxing, while the two fighters will wear slightly heavier gloves weighing 14oz.
Asked if he really believes Tyson can KO Paul, McBride replied: ‘Yeah, I think so.
‘It depends what size the gloves they’re wearing, if they’re wearing 10oz Tyson would definitely knock him out. 14oz, I’m not sure, but still Tyson generates a lot of power.
‘I remember he hit you on one side, say if he hit you on the left side of your body you’d feel it on your right. He’s so powerful it’s unreal.
‘I fought a lot of heavyweights, sparred a lot of heavyweights, sparred Riddick Bowe, John Ruiz, but Mike Tyson was the most powerful punching guy that I ever fought or sparred.’
Asked for his advice to Paul, McBride joked: ‘Watch out if he spits out that mouthpiece.
‘I would say to Jake Paul and his coaches, ride the storm, but two-minute rounds, he’ll have to hold on but I don’t know if he has the strength to hold Tyson, Tyson’s an animal, he is a trained professional fighter, he’s more experienced. Great danger for Jake Paul.’
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