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Mike Tyson Reveals Why He Kept Biting His Glove During Jake Paul Fight

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jeff Smith | Last updated Nov 16, 2024 10:06 AM ET

Mike Tyson’s return to the boxing ring didn’t go as hoped, with the 58-year-old losing by unanimous decision to Jake Paul on Friday night.

The highly touted bout between one of the most iconic former boxers and the up-and-coming 27-year-old drew a tremendous amount of attention. Ultimately, Paul walked away victorious as all three judges scored the fight 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73.

While the fight was just one of many hot-button topics, along with many fans having issues with the Netflix stream, Tyson drew attention for another reason.

The retired boxer was seen biting his gloves numerous times against Paul and was asked about it after the fight.

As Tyson explained on the broadcast, he has a "habit" of biting his gloves.

“I have a habit of biting my glove when I fight, yeah," Tyson said.

When asked why he does it, Tyson said he has "a biting fixation."

The broadcast team was debating why you were biting your glove. What was that can you tell us?

Mike Tyson: “I have a habit of biting my glove when I fight, yeah.”

Why do you do that?

“Uhm, I have a biting fixation.” pic.twitter.com/I1RvVx1W2A
— Louis Montoya (@montoyalouis1) November 16, 2024

Tyson, who boasts a 50-7 career record with 44 KOs, was the undisputed champion in 1987 after winning all three major belts. He held that title through six defenses until losing to James "Buster" Douglas in 1990.

Paul stormed onto the boxing scene after shifting from being a YouTube star in 2020. He's posted an 11-1 record with 7 KOs and has faced numerous MMA fighters. Paul's lone loss came in February 2023 against Tommy Fury after beginning his career 6-0.

The build-up to the fight provided plenty of hype and intrigue, but Tyson added to the action at Thursday's weigh-in. When the two fighters were face-to-face, Tyson slapped Paul after he appeared to step on his foot, a moment that immediately went viral.

Tyson's return to the boxing ring on Friday marked his first professional fight since June 11, 2005, when he lost to Kevin McBride. Tyson's only appearance in the ring since was an exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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