Ex-UFC star claims he’s Jake Paul’s backup fighter for Mike Tyson

Former UFC star Chael Sonnen has claimed that he is Jake Paul’s choice for a backup fighter for Mike Tyson should the Heavyweight boxing icon be unable to make their fight. 

Ever since Jake Paul and Mike Tyson announced that they would be fighting in July, their fight has had plenty of obstacles to overcome. Not only has the match-up been widely criticized by boxers, boxing fans, and pundits alike, but they’ve also had to contend with the 31-year age gap between them. 

That has led to some difficult questions about Tyson’s health, and whether or not the fight should be sanctioned as a professional bout. As of now, they will be competing under professional rules.

Well, that’s if Tyson makes it to fight night. The 57-year-old had an ulcer flare-up during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles on May 27. ‘Iron’ Mike has since said he’s “100%” ahead of the fight, but there’s plenty of time between now and then. 

So much so, that former UFC star Chael Sonne has claimed that Jake has written him into his fight contract as the backup fighter should Tyson be unable to meet him in the ring. 

“I guess it was wise of Jake Paul to write me into the contract as Tyson’s backup, wasn’t it???” Sonnen tweeted after the news about Tyson’s medical emergency surfaced. 

The 47-year-old followed that up a day later by saying that Jake would be fearing him if he realized that they’d have to square off at any point.

“If Jake Paul realizes he might be fighting ME in a month, HE may be the one having a heart attack,” Chael posted. 

Whether or not Chael is telling the truth won’t be revealed until Jake is asked about it, but he’s not the only fighter to say he’d step in. 

Former WBC Lightweight boxing champ Ryan ‘KingRy’ Garcia has also offered himself as a replacement for Tyson.