Mike Tyson Canceled His Jake Paul Fight Following an Unexpected Health Issue

It wasn't going to be the fight of the century, but there were plenty of people who were nonetheless very intrigued by the notion of Jake Paul and Mike Tyson going toe to toe with one another in a boxing ring. Mike is well past his professional prime, and Jake has always been viewed as something of a sideshow in the world of professional boxing.

The eagerly anticipated fight has been indefinitely postponed, though, leading to some disappointment from fans who were hoping that this highly memeable fight would actually take place. Here's what we know about why Mike Tyson ultimately canceled the fight.

The fight between Jake and Mike was slated to take place on July 20, but it was indefinitely postponed after Mike announced that he was dealing with a poorly timed ulcer flareup. Mike, who is now 57, was once the heavyweight champion of the world. Many expected that despite his advanced age, he would still be able to get the better of his much younger opponent.

Although the fight has been postponed, Mike's statement makes it clear that he still wants to fight.

"Unfortunately, due to my ulcer flareup, I have been advised by my doctor to lighten my training for a few weeks to rest and recover," he said. "My body is in better overall shape than it has been since the 1990s and I will be back to my full training schedule soon. Jake Paul, this may have bought you some time, but in the end you will still be knocked out and out of boxing for good."

Jake offered a retort of his own, writing that he was in full support of postponing the fight because he wanted to make sure that he got Mike at full strength.

"I fully support postponing the event so Mike Tyson has no excuses come fight night," Jake said. "My fans know I don't want to face Iron Mike at anything but his best, but let there be no mistake — when he steps into the ring with me, I will be ready to claim my W with a sensational finish."

"Paul vs. Tyson will be one for the ages, and I promise to bring my best for this once-in-a-lifetime matchup," he concluded.

When asked about the postponement of the fight, UFC president Dana White offered his own cryptic remarks, saying that he wanted to stay out of it and trusted that the two of them would find a time to make it happen.

"Obviously I know a lot about it but I'm not going to talk about it publicly. For the first time in all my life, I have no comment on something," Dana said. "That's Mike's [Tyson] world and he gets pissed every time I talk about that stuff so. Good for him, they'll figure it out."

For now, then, Mike and Jake will just have to continue their war of words. Whether they ever actually meet inside a ring or not is a question that has been deferred for another day.