Meet Jake Paul, the controversial YouTuber-turned-boxer up against Mike Tyson p.2

Boxing legend and former heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson is set to fight YouTuber Jake Paul in an exhibition bout in Texas, according to the BBC. The contest will be streamed live on Netflix on July 20.

“This is called an exhibition, but if you look up ‘exhibition’, you will not see any of the rules we will be fighting under. This is a fight,” the broadcaster quoted Tyson as saying.

“The greatest heavyweight boxer on the planet and Mike Tyson,” wrote Jake Paul upon announcing the match-up to his followers. Photo: @jakepaul/Instagram

The article adds that, in an exhibition, there is a referee but no judges, and no winner is declared. “I saw a YouTube of him at 16 doing weird dances,” Tyson said of his opponent to Fox Sports. “That’s not the guy I’m gonna be fighting.

“This guy is gonna come, he’s gonna try to hurt me – which I’m accustomed to – and he’s gonna be greatly mistaken,” the former champ continued. Aged 27 to Tyson’s 57, Paul is actually the favourite to win.

Here’s what we know about Jake Paul, who’s always in the headlines.

Why is Jake Paul so famous?

Jake Paul (pictured) celebrates knocking out his opponent, Andre August, in the first round of their fight in December 2023, in Orlando, Florida. Photo: Getty Images North America/AFP

Paul rose to fame in the early 2010s as a YouTuber, sharing comedy sketches and vlogs of his life, often featuring his brother, Logan Paul. Before that, he already had a fan base on now defunct video-sharing app Vine, per Sporting News.

Besides his social media presence, Paul also played the character of Dirk Mann on the Disney Channel television show Bizaardvark. According to Sporting News, he also has his fair share of haters, with his song “It’s Everyday Bro” being one of the most disliked videos ever shared on YouTube.

How many fights has Jake Paul lost?

Jake Paul (pictured) reacts to knocking out Tyron Woodley in the sixth round during a fight in December 2021, in Tampa, Florida. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

Paul’s villain YouTube persona earned him the nickname “The Problem Child” in boxing. So far, the Cleveland, Ohio native has won nine fights and lost just one – to Tommy Fury in February 2023 – per Sky News.

Who is Jake Paul dating?

Jake Paul and his girlfriend, Dutch Olympic speed skater Jutta Leerdam, in a Valentine’s Day 2024 post. Photo: @jakepaul/Instagram

Paul is currently dating world champion speed skater Jutta Leerdam, who hails from the Netherlands, per People. Leerdam took home a silver medal from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Paul has a mixed reputation in the boxing world and on social media, being one of the most infamous influencers of his generations, states Business Insider. The source adds that he has been accused of trying to scam his followers on multiple occasions; was called out for various controversial comments; was charged with criminal trespassing in Arizona; was accused of sexual assault by two women in 2021; and has been in trouble with the law, with the FBI raiding his mansion in August 2020.

Then there’s his famous bro, Logan Paul

“DoN’t fRiCk WiTh uS wE R rEadY 2 fiGhT,” Jake Paul captioned a pic with his older brother and fellow YouTuber-turned-boxer, Logan Paul. Photo: @jakepaul/Instagram

Jake’s older brother, Logan Paul, is arguably even more famous than him. On Instagram, Jake has 26.5 million followers at the time of writing, while his brother Logan – who’s also a YouTuber-turned-boxer – has 27.1 million followers. Like Jake, Logan has also found himself caught up in multiple scandals, including an abandoned cryptocurrency game, CryptoZoo, which he encouraged his fans to invest in, per the BBC.