Doctors who specialises in treating ulcers have given their thoughts on the likelihood of Mike Tyson's rearranged fight with Jake Paul taking place this year.
Tyson and Paul were set to square off in a professional contest on July 20 as part of a huge event shown live on Netflix.
But the scheduled bout has had to be postponed after Tyson suffered a medical emergency on a flight Miami to Los Angeles, becoming nauseous and dizzy.
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It was later confirmed that he had suffered an ulcer flare-up and would therefore not be ready to resume full training immediately, resulting in the event being called off.
Although there has been talk of a replacement filling in, Tyson has promised fans that the fight will go ahead this year.
He has advised to lighten his training by the doctors and USA Today have spoken to seven medical professionals in the field.
None are treating Tyson, nor have knowledge of his case, but are experts in gastroenterology.
Rama Behara from Texas, is recommending a three-week rest period for Tyson.
"An untreated ulcer over time can erode deeper into the stomach and sometimes create a in the entire wall and that's called a perforation,'' he said.
"So when that happens it can require an emergency surgery to fix it.''
Lawrence Kosinski, who practiced gastroenterology for 40 years in February, believes Tyson must wait four to six weeks to heal or else emergency surgery is a possibility if the ulcer gets worse.
Another two doctors agreed, while another said it depends on the the size of the ulcer.
He is likely to experience more pains and aches when he does get back in the gym and though he is fine shape, it's worth remembering that Tyson is 57 and recently admitted to his body feeling "sore".
As per boxing journalist Michael Benson, Tyson wants the fight to happen in the final quarter of 2024.
Topics: Mike Tyson, Jake Paul
Josh Lawless