- Mike Tyson, 58, is set to fight Jake Paul, 27, at Dallas' AT&T stadium on Friday.
- Tyson's training includes early morning cardio, strength workouts, and affirmations.
- Paul, meanwhile, trains up to six times a week and eats whole foods.
Mike Tyson, 58, is preparing to fight Jake Paul, 27, on Friday at 8pm Eastern Time at Dallas' AT&T stadium.
Paul, a YouTuber who has been boxing professionally for four years, will take on two-time heavyweight world champion Tyson in eight two-minute rounds in front of a live audience of 70,000 people and up to 280 million watching live via Netflix.
While Tyson is more experienced, he has not fought professionally for 19 years, since he lost to Kevin McBride in 2005.
When asked on Tuesday after a public workout what he's learned during his training for Friday's fight, Tyson said: "That I'm tougher than I believed I was because, when I agreed to this fight and started training, I thought: 'What the fuck was I thinking of?' But I've finished the process. The fight is the party. All the hard work is done."
Here's what we know about how Tyson has been training for the fight.
Tyson trains early in the morning
On Wednesday's episode of "The Record with Greta Van Susteren," Tyson described his training regime: "Four o'clock in the morning, doing an hour of cardio, then take a bath, wake up at one o'clock, go to the gym, train eight rounds boxing, hit the bag, maybe, then I train with my strength and conditioning coach, and then I work again. It's just an all-day process."
He added that sometimes training is fun, other times it's difficult.
Tyson has been posting snippets from his training on Instagram, showing himself building both strength and cardiovascular fitness.
He can be seen doing air bike workouts; bodyweight squats, bench presses, shoulder presses, lying medicine ball throws, rows, neck strengthening exercises, and bicep curls; and of course throwing punches in the ring.
Tyson quit being vegan
While Tyson used to be a vegan, he now enjoys eating meat when training for a fight, he told Van Susteren.
"After a fight, I won't eat meat any more," he said, adding that he likes the way he feels without it.
Affirmations are key for Tyson
Fostering a positive mindset is a key part of Tyson's mental training.
"There's nothing stronger than the power of belief, affirmations, saying wonderful things about yourself, whatever you're willing to accomplish, you foresee it before it even happens," he said in a recent Instagram video. "You talk about it, you think about it constantly. That's the beginning of the mindset of winning."
Jake Paul eats luxury protein
Tyson's opponent, Jake Paul, has been training hard too.
Speaking to Men's Health in July, the YouTuber turned boxer said he trains twice a day, five to six days a week. His first session of the day is boxing and drills, while the second is strength and conditioning or track, he said.
As for his diet, Paul said he used to love fast food but now eats mostly whole foods and prioritizes protein, especially luxury cuts like wagyu beef and smoked salmon.
To calm his mind, Paul meditates and goes on beach walks, he said.