Oscar De La Hoya admits he's 'praying' for Mike Tyson ahead of his 'dangerous' fight against Jake Paul as 57-year-old prepares to return to the ring in July

With Jake Paul and Mike Tyson's fight closing in, Oscar De La Hoya expressed concern for his fellow boxing legend.

The sanctioned professional fight features a glaring age difference between the 27-year-old Paul and Tyson, who will be 58 by fight night. Still, many fans believe that Tyson's knockout power and killer instinct from his prime will transcend youth and lead him to victory.

However, De La Hoya sits on the other side of the fence. In an interview with TMZ Sports, The Golden Boy warned Iron Mike to 'be careful.'

'I'm gonna pray for Mike Tyson, 'cause I love Mike Tyson,' De La Hoya said. 'I think Jake Paul, look, he's a real fighter. He really is. It's a dangerous fight. Mike Tyson, be careful, please.'

The fight will be at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 20. Additionally, it will be the first event to stream live on Netflix.

Oscar De La Hoya admitted he is 'praying' for Mike Tyson ahead of his fight with Jake Paul 

The bout, set for July 20, features a glaring 30-year age gap between both heavy-hitters 

Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2005 and fought in an exhibition bout in 2020 

Jake Paul, 9-1, has earned a reputation for fighting athletes far removed from their prime 

Paul has earned a reputation for fighting athletes far removed from their primes. Wins over the likes of Tyron Woodley, Nate Diaz, and Anderson Silva have padded his 9-1 record.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer is coming off back-to-back wins over Andre August and Ryan Bourland.

On the other hand, Iron Mike has not seen the ring since his exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020 - a bout that saw Paul knock former NBA star Nate Robinson out in the undercard.

Tyson held a 50-6 professional record, with 44 knockouts, before retiring in 2005.

When asked if a loss to Paul would be detrimental to Tyson's legacy, De La Hoya insisted said: 'No, Mike Tyson is cemented, legacy, forever. Mike Tyson will be the man forever.'