Sydney Thomas Says Breaking Up with Her Boyfriend Before Tyson-Paul Fight ‘Paid Off’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Sydney Thomas, ring girl, poses at Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson on November 15, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.Photo:Sydney Thomas/Instagram

Sydney Thomas/Instagram

Sydney Thomashas no regrets aboutbreaking up with her boyfriendearlier this year.

Before the 21-year-old ring girl from theJake PaulandMike Tysonfight went viral, Thomas wanted to eliminate any distractions from her life, she tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“I was just at this point where I was like, ‘I just want to become the best version of myself and I just need to take everything that’s distracting me out of the picture.’ So yes, I did break up with my boyfriend.”

The University of Alabama student jokes that she’s not sure if she was “having a midlife crisis or something,” but admits that ending her relationship was not easy.

“It was hard to do that, but in the end I think it paid off in the way that now I’m able to handle any situation on my own.”

Adrian Gonzalez

And if the last month is any indication, Thomas is certainly finding success in her single era, which allowed her to focus on herself.

“Headed into the fight, I was very locked into everything with the gym and eating and all that, because, obviously, you want to be looking your best when you’re on Netflix in front of so many people,” says Thomas.

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In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 15 fight — in which Paul, 27, defeated Tyson, 58, at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX., — Thomas followed a strict routine to make sure she was ready for her big moment.

“I didn’t spend a lot of time going out with my friends or anything because I was like, I have to be so locked into this,” she tells PEOPLE.

Sydney Thomas poses at the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight on November 15, 2024 in Texas.Raphaela Milagres

Raphaela Milagres

In fact, Thomas — who typically keeps a chill, low-profile when she’s not modeling or in the ring — says she’s not interested in a relationship at the moment.

“I’m so not focused on any of that right now,” she says of the guys in her DMs trying to ask her out.

Instead, Thomas says she spends “a lot of time alone” to focus on herself.

“I’m very invested in myself. So anything that I can do to just make myself a better version of me is where I spend a lot of my time,” she explains. “I spend a lot of time working out, going on walks, cooking and just trying to keep myself healthy. I spent a lot of time focusing on my mental health as well, just journaling and praying and stuff like that.”

source: people.com