Boxing

Mike Tyson's Next Fight? Ending America's Worst Addiction

Mike Tyson makes media appearance with Robert Kennedy, Jr. To Promote Healthy Eato
Joseph Hammond|
Mike Tyson has done a handful of media appearances to combat ultraprocessed food
Mike Tyson has done a handful of media appearances to combat ultraprocessed food | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Mike Tyson appeared on Fox News alongside U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and White House senior advisor Calley Means last week to highlight the need for a new approach to ultraprocessed food.

“Ultraprocessed food is a narcotic more than it is anything nutritious,” said the former heavyweight champion who last competed in a sanctioned boxing match on November 15, 2024. “Iron Mike,” as the champion was known in his prime, was 58 years old and four months at the time of the fight. He lost via an eight-round decision in a sanctioned Texas boxing match.

Ultraprocessed food has been defined in various ways, but it is generally thought to refer to foods with five or more ingredients that are produced in a ready-to-eat or near-ready-to-eat form. Simple processed foods such as pasta are generally excluded.

Tyson’s appearance came during a segment of My View with Lara Trump. Tyson (50-7, 44 KOs) told interviewer Lara Trump that he was concerned about ultraprocessed food because he believed it contributed to the death of his sister from obesity.

Mike Tyson appeared in a black and white Super Bowl add earlier this month to promote the cause.

His appearance in the advertisement was paid for by the MAHA Center, or Make America Healthy Again movement. The group is led by Tony Lyons, an associate of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The advertisement ends by pointing viewers to visit RealFood.gov.

Boxers have traditionally shunned ultra-processed food when preparing for major fights (various dietary supplements aside).

Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul press conference during Fanatics Fest in New York City on August 19, 2024.
Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul press conference during Fanatics Fest in New York City on August 19, 2024. | IMAGO / Cover-Images

When will Mike Tyson fight again?

The Ring Magazine's Mike Coppinger broke news on February 16 that the fight between Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather will take place as an exhibition on April 25th in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0, 27 KOs) is scheduled to compete in an exhibition boxing match against Greek kickboxer Mike "Iron" Zambidis on June 27, 2026, in Athens, Greece. He has also been linked to a potential rematch with Manny Pacquiao.

At 59 years of age, Mike Tyson is no longer chasing belts —but he’s still looking for something he can sink his teeth into, and ultra-processed food fits that bill.

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Joseph Hammond
JOSEPH HAMMOND

Joseph Hammond is a veteran sports journalist with extensive experience covering world championship fights across three continents. He has interviewed legendary champions such as Julio César Chávez, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Gennady Golovkin, Oscar De La Hoya, and Bernard Hopkins, among many others. He reported ringside for KO On SI in 2024 for the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk bout in Riyadh - the first undisputed heavyweight championship in 24 years.

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