Mike Tyson will be forced to undergo brain tests before fighting Jake Paul

Mike Tyson will have to pass brain and heart scans before fighting Jake Paul.

'Iron Mike' is preparing for a boxing return against Paul on July 20 in Texas and will be 58 by the time he steps in the ring. Tyson hasn't fought since going eight rounds with fellow legend Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020 and Paul fought on the undercard of that event when he KO'd NBA star Nate Robinson.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations [TDLR] will oversee the fight and it's yet to be determined whether it will be a professional or exhibition contest. Tela Mange, Communications Manager for the TDLR, explained that fighters over the age of 36 must submit favourable results from an electroencephalogram (EEG) and an electrocardiogram (EKG) to compete.

An EEG is used to evaluate brain disorders whilst an EKG is used to detect heart problems. "We can also request additional testing if we think it’s appropriate,’’ Mange told USA Today Sports. The commission haven't received a proposed fight card for Paul vs Tyson and currently have no details other than the fight date.

“It’s pretty common for a promoter to request a date several months out but not immediately provide the proposed card,’’ Mange added. They want to be sure that they’ve secured the date with us, since we’ll have to make sure we have appropriate staffing available for any event.

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"The promoter will need to submit proposed cards before we determine whether a particular contest would be considered as an exhibition or a professional fight, or how a proposed exhibition might be structured.'' If the fight does go ahead as an exhibition, rounds will be two minutes each and no official judges will score the bout.

All of Paul's last 10 fights have been professional bouts whilst Tyson retired from professional competition almost two decades ago after quitting on his stool against Kevin McBride. 'Iron Mike' weighed 220lb for his exhibition against Jones whilst Paul stepped on the scale at just under 200lb for his last fight.