Mike Tyson Says Boxing Owes YouTubers Like Jake Paul: ‘UFC Was Kicking Our Butts’

Mike Tyson believes boxing owes YouTubers like Jake Paul.

Tyson returned to the ring when he fought Roy Jones Jr. to a draw in their pay-per-view exhibition headliner on Saturday night.

While there was no knockout finish, it certainly didn’t disappoint either as the event received plenty of mainstream attention due to Tyson’s name value and return to the ring for the first time since 2005.

However, what was also a contributing factor was popular YouTuber Jake Paul and his emphatic second-round knockout win over Nate Robinson in the co-main event.

Tyson, for one, only came to learn of Paul recently but was grateful that he shared a card with him.

“I didn’t know he existed until my sons wanted to fight him one day,” Tyson said after the event (via MMA Fighting). “I said, ‘Who are you going to fight? This guy? Come on,’ and he was a big star.

“Everybody knows who he is, and I’m so happy that he joined on the bandwagon with me and Roy.”

YouTubers have entered boxing rings a lot more in recent years and have come under fire for making a mockery of the sport.

As far as Tyson is concerned, however, they are bringing some much-needed attention to the sport which was getting overtaken and made obsolete by mixed martial arts.

“Listen, my ego says so many things, but my reality is they help boxing so much,” Tyson explained. “Boxing owes these guys, they owe these YouTube boxers some kind of respect. They should give them some belts because these guys make boxing alive.

“Boxing was pretty much a dying sport. UFC was kicking our butts, and now we got these YouTube boxers boxing with 25 million views. Boxing’s going back. Thanks to the YouTube boxers.”

Paul certainly plans on competing in boxing for a while and with his 20 million YouTube subscribers, that’s only a good thing for the sport.

“I believe the more anyone boxes the bigger it is for the sport,” Tyson added. “Cause boxing took a couple of beatings since the UFC’s been around.”

Do you agree with Tyson?