Jake Paul Has No Fear in Facing Mike Tyson or Mike Perry: 'I'm Never Afraid of a Challenge'

Jake Paul is getting ready for two of the biggest fights of his combat sports career, one with mixed martial artist "Platinum" Mike Perry on July 20 and another with former heavyweight boxing champion "Iron" Mike Tyson on November 15. Paul spoke to Complex about tapping into his "delusional optimism" and his drink of choice, Celsius, and more.

The fight with Perry is an eight-round matchup that replaces Paul's bout with Tyson, who suffered an ulcer flare-up in May that postponed their fight. If Paul didn't already have his hands full with the boxing legend, Perry is making Paul work even harder as he's no fluke in the ring. Perry has competed in the UFC and posted a solid 14-8 record, but his time in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is what has people talking all about him.

Perry's record in the BKFC is an incredible 5-0, and he's an entirely different fighter, physically and mentally, from anyone Paul has already faced. However, Paul is more than ready to knock Perry out in a place where he's already delivered a devastating blow.

"It's a great fight. It's a bigger fight than I had even anticipated," Paul tells Complex. "The reaction has been phenomenal going back to Tampa, Florida, where I won Knockout of the Year. I plan on doing the same thing to Mike Perry that I did to Tyron Woodley. I'm just happy that this event is still going down, and it's giving me more experience in preparation for Mike Tyson."

He continued, "[Perry is] a dog, and he has that reputation for being 'The King of Violence,' 'The King of BKFC.' Those guys are insane, and Mike Perry is insane. He's not a joke and not something to take lightly at all. But I will prove to people that I am the better boxer and more of a dog. I have more power, more skills, and more everything around the board. I will rise to the occasion and knock Mike Perry out in less than three rounds."

Since Paul announced he would be fighting Tyson and Perry, combat sports fans have criticized him for choosing fighters with a reputation like The Baddest Man on the Planet and the King of Violence champion. There's always been a layer of doubt over Paul's 9-1 boxing career; however, the 27-year-old has been using all that criticism as motivation.

Despite the criticism, Paul assures he and Tyson will be in a "full-on war." Paul believes critics are the ones who make people greater than they are, and competitors need that to achieve the glory and true fandom that comes from proving everyone wrong. People always have something to say, and Paul is accustomed to that, having heard it all from boxing purists and casual fans, but he's more concerned with inspiring the next generation.

"You look at Michael Jordan and LeBron James. People are still doing anything they can to discredit those two guys. It's like, yo, just shut up," says Paul. "Like why are you trying to tear apart what they've done? No matter what you do, tearing other humans down is just human nature. I think some people will give me my flowers and others won't, but that's not really what I'm here to do. I'm here to prove to kids that anything is possible."

Paul also spoke about his partnership with the popular energy drink brand Celsius, with which he signed an endorsement deal back in 2023.

"I'm always using Celsius to fuel me through training when it gets really tough and I need that extra energy," says Paul. "I need those boosts in camp. And so Celsius is like always there for me. We literally have probably unlimited supply. So the whole team is actually drinking Celsius all the time. We're always working hard, boxing, everything around the board."

Paul knows there's immense pressure on him to perform and "silence" Perry as he says this fight has put his bout with Tyson at risk. If he loses to Perry, people will doubt Paul competing against the former heavyweight champion even more, but that isn't something he's focused on.

Fighting Perry is already a battle in itself, and in several viral videos, Tyson has proved his technique and skill are still intact at 58 years old. To help him understand that, Paul taps into his "delusional optimism." According to Paul, that's what makes fighters who they are, and his bias is telling him he's going to give his all against Perry and Tyson.

"I'm never afraid of a challenge, and I believe that when you put yourself in situations of pressure, you come out a diamond," he says. "You have to rise to the occasion and be your greatest every single day. That's why I wanted to fight Mike Perry. I want to take on another person who doesn't stop coming forward, who has big punches, who's crazy, who can take a lot of shots."

He continued, "Knowing that he's crazy and is sort of out of his mind and a brawler takes a lot of damage...all of that is great. But at the end of the day, this is a sport of skill and technique. It's a dance, there's a rhythm, there's a form, and it's not a street fight, it's not bare knuckle. I'm gonna welcome him into the sport and then kick his ass out. That'll be the last boxing match he ever has, and he'll learn his lesson."

Once the dust settles from his fights with Perry and Tyson, Paul says he has much more to do in combat sports. One of the first things on his list was to compete in MMA fights, and he initially offered Nate Diaz $10 million for a match with the Professional Fighters League before raising the price to $15 million. Paul says Diaz ignored the offer, but he's still willing to compete with the right opponent.

Paul also wants a rematch with the man who gave him his only loss in the win-lose column, Tommy Fury. The loss to Fury is something that Paul wants to avenge, and he's waiting for the British boxer to heal from his hand surgery. As Paul puts it, he's in no rush to deal with Fury, and the more he waits, the "nastier" the knockout will be.

As if that weren't enough, Paul also wants to get in the ring with his older brother Logan, who's becoming a star with the WWE. Paul says he and Logan are in a good spot in their relationship where there wouldn't be any negative repercussions from their potential fight. He revealed that they've had meetings with Netflix about airing the fight, and there seems to be interest in it.

"I think we could genuinely just go in there and see who the better fighter is and then shake hands, be brothers, and love each other the next day. That's what it's all about," he says.

Paul's ultimate goal in all this is to compete for actual belts in the boxing ring. Holding a belt over his head is why he's in the gym every day, and he affirms he will be on top of the mountain one day. "That's what I wanna do. I'm focused on that goal. These fights are great, and I'm getting more experience, but I will become a world champion, and that's what I'm working towards," he says.