Jake Paul's reaction to Mike Tyson pulling out of boxing fight revealed - 'Numb'

has opened up about his heartbreak when boxing icon had to postpone their highly-anticipated bout. The YouTube sensation was gearing up for a July face-off with Tyson, but the legendary heavyweight suffered an ulcer flare-up on a flight, leading to a four-month delay.

Tyson, who was hospitalised and found to have a significant bleeding ulcer, was advised to halt training and pushed the fight to November 15. Now, with the rescheduled clash imminent, the pair are set to duke it out in Texas before a potential crowd of 80,000.

Paul, with a professional record boasting 10 wins from 11 fights, confessed his devastation on a Netflix documentary. "When I received the news that he was out and not able to fight, I was just numb, I was just like, 'f***...'," he lamented.

"I'm the type of person who likes a schedule and likes to know what I'm doing. This just threw a wrench in all of that, there was nothing I could do, it was out of my control."

He added: "Nobody can tell Mike Tyson what to do and if he wants to fight me, of course I'm going to say yes. This is the opportunity of a lifetime to fight one of the two most famous boxers to ever live; Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. I look at Mike Tyson as a killer so I never really expected something like this."

Paul faced off against bare-knuckle fighter and ex-UFC contender Mike Perry on the date initially set for his bout with Tyson, emerging victorious in the sixth round.

He declared: "At the end of the day the Mike Tyson fight is great but I have a goal to become world champion and I'm not slowing that down for anyone."

Tyson's last ring appearance was four years ago when he fought to a draw with boxing icon Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition match, which he mostly controlled.

Paul also featured that evening, delivering a knockout blow to NBA's Nate Robinson in the second round. The upcoming fight between Tyson and Paul will be officially recorded, consisting of two eight-minute rounds with fighters donning 14oz gloves.

This marks Tyson's return to professional boxing since retiring mid-fight against Kevin McBride nearly two decades ago.