Who is Big Mo? Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight announcer being touted as the next big thing

There's an air of expectancy as boxing legend Mike Tyson is set to face the influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul, with Kody 'Big Mo' Mommaerts stepping into the limelight as the ring announcer for the star-studded affair which will be streamed live on Netflix.

As 58 year old Tyson gears up for a comeback that aims to transcend age boundaries against the considerably younger Jake Paul, 31 years his junior, the fight community looks on with a blend of excitement and doubt.

Tyson eagerly anticipates his first professional match since 2005, whereas Paul comes forward with a commendable 10-1 professional record in the boxing world.

READ MORE: Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson LIVE - Winner leaked, UK start time, how to watch on Netflix, updates

READ MORE: Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul main card ring walkout times, fight rules confirmed, bout order

The Netflix production team is composed of familiar faces bringing this bout to viewers everywhere. Taking the helm in the studio is lead presenter Kate Scott (formerly known as Abdo), joined by ex-world champion Andre Ward, while the accomplished Mauro Ranallo will offer play-by-play commentary ringside with none other than boxing great Roy Jones Jr.

Mike Tyson’s own progeny, Amir Tyson, is on board to commentate for the preliminary bouts preceding the main event.

One noticeably missing element will be Michael Buffer's iconic "Let's get ready to rumble" summons; instead, the voice ushering in the headline fight will be that of the young yet striking 'Big Mo', Kody Mommaerts, aged 29. With his noticeable persona and the carefully built 'Big Mo' brand, he'll preside over the central bout's proclamations, according to reports from the Mirror.

So who is Kody 'Big Mo' Mommaerts exactly?

Raised by his single father in Louisville, Colorado, Mommaerts confesses to a socially awkward childhood. However, he found his footing as an American Football offensive lineman in high school, progressing to Division One at the University of Northern Colorado, where he studied Business Marketing.

During his university years, Mommaerts first took on the role of announcer at an athletic awards ceremony. He then partnered with Denver's Sparta promotion and introduced his first boxing match at 23, billing himself as "the youngest announcer in the world".

Following his work on the 2021 Eddie Hall vs Hafthor Bjornsson bout, Boxxer selected him to present at Sky Sports events. "I saw a gap in the market. I saw this front-facing job being done by three or four people at the most part, a little bit older in demographic, and I saw this gap in the market," Big Mo said.

"I started branding myself. I used to wear sunglasses in the ring for a visual aesthetic. I wanted to stand out and be a little bit different. I recognised I was 30, 40 years younger than other people doing it."

Outside of combat sports, Mommaerts is COO at Sports Thread, focusing on youth sports, and while specialising in advertising, he also harbours ambitions to enter the entertainment sector full-time. "Big Mo" Mommaerts has charted his journey to becoming a boxing announcer sensation, distinguishing himself from the legendary Buffer brothers while sharing his respect for them.

In an interview with Sky Sports earlier this year, he candidly said: "Some people like ketchup, some people like mustard, people have different preferences, but to me the Buffers are the gold standard and the best at what they do," and added, "I've always looked at them as that benchmark that I will try to chase and ultimately hopefully become better than, and I mean that respectfully. I've gotten a lot of comparisons and I take that as a compliment, but I want to be myself."

He further emphasised individualism in the public eye, expressing: "And I think that's critical as you build a role in the public eye, whether it's being a ring announcer or an entertainer. And the reality is, I got started in this industry at a much younger age than anyone else that did it, the average age of announcers today is like 50. I'm 28, I started with Sky, it's important for me to establish who I am now."