The upcoming battle between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul has caused quite a stir in the boxing world, and now the former world champion has been given a worrying warning from one of the UK’s leading fitness names.

Iron Mike is set to step back in the ring in November in his rescheduled bout against YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, but there are concerns over the 58-year-old as he prepares for his comeback.

The original fight had to be moved after Tyson suffered from an ulcer flare-up, and speaking to OLBG, fitness expert Dave Hancock warned the icon that from a medical point of view, the fight could be very dangerous.

He said: “Looking from the outside, Mike Tyson’s comeback is purely money-driven. If someone’s gonna offer you X to do Y, you can make a decision whether to do that or not at any age – so therefore your incentive is cash.

“Therefore you will be prepared to put your body on the line in those circumstances in that sport, because you know the reward is the cash. But physically, as a medical person, I think it could be catastrophic. Especially at that age, because reflexes are reduced, his reaction time’s reduced, he’s not as fit as he used to be.

“There might be cardiothoracic issues, pulmonary issues, all sorts of issues that you’ve inherited as you’ve got older, lifestyle issues, you’re not living the same as what you were doing when you were training.”

Despite the warning, Hancock, who has previously worked with Chelsea, Leeds, and the England national team, says that he believes Tyson’s decision is financially based and was too good to turn down.

Adding: “But at the end of the day, money talks, going back to the same scenarios about footballers going on end of season trips and pre-season trips, it’s because there are huge amounts of money involved.

“It’s no different for an individual athlete that could get a payday for a one-off bout with a YouTuber.

“If anyone is offered £10 million to do something you’re going to have a really serious think about whether you would do it or not. Probably 99% of the population, if they had the talent, would say yeah, it’s too hard to say no.

“If you’re not in a financial situation that you were in when you were an athlete, for instance Mike Tyson and his bankruptcy in the past, then that’s obviously got to be playing on his mind that he could make some serious cash.

“Then that might lead to something else and something else. Therefore, all of a sudden, he could be doing something in his 50s and be earning more money than he was in his 20s.”