Paul and Tyson will clash in a professional fight this summer with the heavyweight legend coming out of a near 20-year retirement

Jake Paul has controversially claimed “one of us will die” in his fight with Mike Tyson this summer.

YouTube sensation Paul will take on heavyweight legend Tyson in Texas in July in a controversial fight which will go on the fighters’ respective professional records. Paul will be almost 30 years younger than Tyson who will have turned 58 by the time the first bell rings.

But he has no qualms about taking on a man who is closer to his pension than his prime. “It’s war; all is fair in love and war. I love the guy, but as soon as it turned into a pro fight, one of us has to die,” Paul said at the Miami Grand Prix. The social media star also told Sky Sports: “He’s taking this very, very seriously and that’s what’s going to make the fight amazing for all the fans.

“He’s a killer. I’m moving up to the heavyweight division so he’s going to have some advantages but that’s what’s going to make this fight exciting. We both have one-punch knockout. This is what he was destined to do and what he was born for. And he was the one who wanted it to be a pro fight. We were figuring out the rules and Mike said, ‘I want it to be a pro fight. I want to end this kid and stop everything he’s doing.’ So I agreed to make it a pro fight and it’s as real as it gets.”

The fight will take place over eight, two-minute rounds and both men will wear 14oz gloves and no headgear. Fans have since argued the fight shouldn’t be professionally sanctioned if the rounds are two-minutes long instead of three, but Paul has insisted Tyson was the one who requested it.

“I just want to make it clear, Mike Tyson is the one who wanted it to be a pro fight,” Paul said on his podcast. “I said to Nakisa, if that is what Mike wants, then that’s fine, but make sure if you tell Mike that there is no holding back. Whatever happens, happens and this is war now.

“If he puts me down, I can deal with that, but if I put him down, he needs to be the one making the decision on whether or not he can deal with that. Now that it’s a pro fight and it’s on my record and I’m going to put him down, and if people are p***ed about it, then watch soccer. Go watch some volleyball, don’t watch boxing.”