A psychologist and expert on brain and cognitive health said 58-year-old Mike Tyson is taking serious risks by facing off with 27-year-old Jake Paul on Friday (November 15) for Tyson’s first professional fight in nearly 20 years.

Psychologist Art Kramer, the director of Northeastern University’s Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, said Tyson’s best bet is to move swiftly and end the fight as soon as possible.

"I would encourage him to move as quickly as he can and not get hit as he might have as a young man," Kramer said. "It's probably not the best idea, but who am I to tell a professional athlete that they shouldn't have one last go at what they were very good at? It's definitely a risk."

READ: Tyson slaps Paul in final face-off before Netflix bout

Tyson’s last professional fight was a loss against Kevin McBride in 2005. The fight against Paul, a YouTube personality who began boxing professionally in 2018, will be shorter – eight two-minute rounds instead of the typical 10 or 12 three-minute rounds. Both boxers will also use heavier 14-ounce gloves instead of the typical 10-ounce gloves.

Kramer, a former boxer himself, said as many of us age, the brain gets slower and previous brain injuries might impact older fighters more than their younger counterparts. The hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memories and learning, begins to shrink with age.

"One important aspect of boxing is speed with how you can react and how you can protect yourself to get your hands up, to move your head and your body out of the way," Kramer said.

Kramer noted the 31-year age difference between Tyson and Paul does provide one advantage for Tyson: decades of experience fighting more opponents.

"Mike Tyson is a very experienced fighter and he has tricks up his sleeve, perhaps that many younger people wouldn't or couldn't have," Kramer said. "So, I wouldn't say it's exactly a trade off, but certainly experience helps."

(Production: Evan Garcia)