Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul at weigh-in before fight

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul haven't yet begun their highly anticipated bout, but they've found a way to square off. Tyson, 58, and Paul, 27, sparred briefly onstage at their weigh-in on Thursday, November 14. Tyson smacked Paul across the face, and his teammates had to intervene to keep the situation from escalating.

Tyson and Paul faced off in a heated exchange before their scheduled showdown.

Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions

When the moderator questioned why Tyson struck Paul, he walked away without answering. When asked about the scuffle, his younger opponent claimed that he "didn't even feel" the slap.

"He's angry," Paul told the crowd. "He's an angry little elf. Mike Tyson, I thought it was a lovely slap, but tomorrow, you're going to get knocked the f**k out."

Paul then exclaimed, "F**king him up" and said Tyson "hits like a bitch."

"It's personal now!" he said. "He must die."

Paul took to X (previously known as Twitter) shortly after, writing, "This is a pinch-me moment." Mike Tyson smacked me," he said, adding a happy-faced embracing emoji.

The showdown will stream live on Netflix on Friday, November 15, at 8 p.m. ET. The battle between "Iron Mike" and "The Problem Child" was intended to take place on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Tyson experienced an ulcer flare-up two months ago while flying from Miami to Los Angeles.

Most Valuable Promotions made a statement on the incident, delaying the event till a later date.

"During a follow-up consultation on Thursday with medical professionals on his recent ulcer flare-up, the recommendation is for Mike Tyson to do minimal to light training over the next few weeks and then return to full training with no limitations," MVP explained. Further, "both Mike and Jake are in agreement that it is only fair to ensure that both athletes have equal training time to prepare for this important match and are able to compete at the highest level."

MVP stated: "We fully support Mike taking the necessary time to allow himself to perform at the level he expects of himself."

Tyson shared an update with his social media fans after the bout was pushed back. In May, he tweeted, "Now feeling 100 percent, even though I don't need to be to beat Jake Paul."