Mike Tyson breaks his silence to explain why he slapped Jake Paul

Mike Tyson launched an battle astatine Jake Paul connected Thursday night, slapping his hostile arsenic they faced disconnected earlier tonight's large fight

Mike Tyson has confirmed helium slapped Jake Paul due to the fact that his rival stepped connected his toes.

Tyson was waiting for Paul to articulation him for their last face-off before tonight's archetypal bell erstwhile the YouTuber crouched and crawled towards the heavyweight fable earlier springing up successful his face. Tyson instantly slapped Paul earlier slipping backmost to debar immoderate retaliatory blows.

The brace were past separated by information arsenic tempers flared aft the extremity of a week successful which Tyson had mostly kept his cards adjacent to his chest. A mentation aboriginal circulated connected societal media that Paul had stepped connected Tyson's toes, provoking his outburst, and the antheral himself aboriginal revealed that to beryllium true.

"I was successful my socks and helium had connected shoes," Tyson told The New York Post. "He stepped connected my toed due to the fact that helium is simply a f***ing a**hole. I wanted to deliberation it happened by accident. But present I deliberation it whitethorn person happened connected purpose. I was successful a batch of pain. I had to reciprocate." A subordinate of Tyson's squad added: "Jake has been poking the carnivore the full time. Mike slapped the s*** retired of him."

At the time, Tyson refused to elaborate connected his intentions, saying simply: "Talking’s over." But Paul was much vocal, telling Tyson helium would wage for the slap erstwhile they are reunited successful the ring.

"I didn't adjacent consciousness it, he's angry," helium said. "He's an aggravated small elf. Mike Tyson, I thought that was a cute slap, buddy, but time you’re getting knocked the f*** out. I’m f***ing him up, Ariel, I'm f***ing him up. He hits similar a b****… It’s idiosyncratic now, it's idiosyncratic now. He indispensable die!"

Paul is the favourite to bushed Tyson contiguous but bookmakers person shortened the heavyweight legend's likelihood this week arsenic helium prepares for his archetypal combat successful 4 years. On that juncture helium fought retired a bore gully with Roy Jones Jr successful a combat with akin rules to tonight's bout.

Tyson's past nonrecreational outing saw him discontinue connected his stool aft 5 rounds against Kevin McBride successful 2005 with the combatant erstwhile known arsenic the Baddest Man connected the Planet admitting his vocation was over.

But helium will instrumentality contiguous implicit 8 two-minute rounds against Paul who has made a vocation retired of warring ex-MMA fighters including Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz. He has amassed a grounds of 10-1 with his sole decision coming against Tommy Fury past year.