Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight rules from KOs to rounds and gloves explained

In a much-anticipated clash, Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are ready to go head-to-head on Friday night in a bout that's billed as one of the most intriguing and controversial boxing events in recent times. The encounter, which features the 58 year old Tyson opposite the 27 year old Paul, was first unveiled in March just before Anthony Joshua's showdown with Francis Ngannou took place in Saudi Arabia. However, the original July 20 date had to be postponed when Tyson fell ill during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles.

The legendary heavyweight became unwell due to an inflamed ulcer and after coughing up blood and collapsing, he was taken to hospital. There, Tyson even questioned his doctor about his odds of pulling through. Despite the setback, Tyson's bout with Paul has been rearranged for this Friday, with Tyson stepping back into training in anticipation of his first match in four years, marking nearly two decades since his last professional fight.



With the first bell fast-approaching, let's delve into the fight rules, some of which may catch seasoned boxing fans off guard...

, reports the Express . 1. Rounds.

Tyson and Paul are scheduled for an eight-round match, with each round lasting two minutes. While it's being promoted as a professional contest, it will adhere to the same parameters as Tyson’s 2020 bout against Roy Jones Jr. Normal heavyweight tussles have three-minute rounds, but Tyson stated his preference for shorter ones.

"I wanted the shorter rounds because I wanted more action," he reasoned, adding, "If we only have two minutes, we'll fight more." 2. Knockouts.

In a surprising turn of events, unlike Tyson's previous bout with Jones Jr where knockouts were not permitted, they will be allowed in the forthcoming match against Paul. In their last face-off, neither Tyson nor Jones Jr managed to land a knockout punch, resulting in a somewhat disappointing draw. However, this Friday could see either fighter delivering a knockout blow.

Both Tyson and Paul have posted videos of their training sessions, demonstrating them knocking down their sparring partners. It remains to be seen whether Tyson still has his knockout power, and if Paul is ready to face potential backlash from sports fans for knocking out a much-loved figure like Tyson. In a departure from the usual, Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will be wearing 14oz gloves for their heavyweight clash, instead of the standard 10oz.

The reasons behind this decision are yet to be clarified, but it's speculated that the extra padding - usually seen in training and sparring gloves - is a safety measure intended to minimise the chances of a knockout. This was also the case in Tyson's match with Roy Jones Jr, where both legends wore 12oz gloves. If both Tyson and Paul make it to the final bell, the result of the fight will be decided by three ringside judges.

Each judge will score each round 10-9 in favour of one fighter, unless a knockdown occurs, in which case the downed fighter loses a point. If a round is closely contested and a clear winner can't be determined, judges have the option to score it as a 10-10 draw. After eight rounds, the scores from the judges will be added up to determine the winner.

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson meet in the ring this week (Image: (Image: AFP via Getty Images)).