In a statement released Saturday night, Paul's MVP explained that the August 6 boxing pay-per-view program between Jake Paul and Hasim Rahman Jr. had been canceled due to a weight issue with Rahman.
Originally, Madison Square Garden in New York City was scheduled to host the event.
Rahman's camp allegedly informed Paul's squad on Saturday morning that the player expected to weigh in at 215 pounds on Friday, per a statement released by MVP. According to the statement, Paul is willing to negotiate with Rahman and do the fight at 205 pounds, even though the two had previously agreed to fight at 200. In a statement released by MVP, Rahman's team indicated their fighter would pull out of the fight if the weight limit was not 215 pounds.
"MVP and Jake Paul will not reward someone that has handled themselves in such a deceptive and planned manner," the statement stated. "As a result, MVP has no choice but to postpone the 6th of August function. Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano, and all the other fighters on this card who have worked so hard for the past few months will be negatively affected by this arbitrary conclusion. Hasim Rahman Jr. must answer to the boxing community for his unprofessional actions."
In the co-main event, Serrano, one of the best female fighters in the world, was set to face off against Brenda Carabajal.
After admitting in an Instagram video posted early Sunday morning that he had signed the 200-pound contract in early July, Rahman said his body "just will not let me do it" in regards to making the weight. Rahman was confused as to why Paul's staff decided to cancel the bout before he had a chance to reduce his weight to the required level. "That's how much faith I had in me knocking him out," he stated, explaining why he was willing to fight Paul for the low buyout of $5,000.
Rahman claims he sparred with Paul in 2020, when Paul was far heavier, and Rahman consistently came out on top. Rahman claimed that Paul instructed him to be a "shell" of himself during their fight.
"What's the problem battling me at 215 if you beat me up when I was 230?" Says Rahman. "So what if I weigh 210 pounds, you ask? They're obviously trying to avoid a confrontation. I'm not backing down from this battle."
Early in July, after Tommy Fury pulled out of his fight with Paul owing to travel concerns, the Paul-Rahman bout was arranged.
The MVP statement claims that Rahman agreed to compete at 200 pounds on July 6. MVP and the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) were assured by Rahman's weight documentation that he would not lose more than 10% of his body weight before the fight. Heavyweight Rahman, who has competed at both welterweight (unrestricted weight) and light heavyweight (restricted weight), last fought in April at a weight of 224 pounds.
On July 7, Rahman weighed 216 pounds, and he and his staff assured MVP that he would make the weight limit. Both Rahman and his father, Hasim, were confident that they could make the weight in interviews with ESPN during the past two weeks.
According to the statement released by MVP, Rahman submitted a signed statement from a nutritionist stating that his weight was improving in accordance with the New York State Athletic Commission's guidelines, which require weekly weight checks.
It has become apparent that these guarantees were not offered in good faith in the last 48 hours," MVP said in a statement.
According to MVP's statement, Rahman lost less than a pound from when he signed for the fight in early July and when the NYSAC checked his weight on Friday. According to MVP, the commission made it clear that it would not sanction the bout at a weight of less than 205 pounds, which Paul was willing to accept. According to MVP, Rahman's club was then issued a revised contract that included stringent penalties in the event that Rahman failed to make the weight.
"Upon obtaining this new contract on Saturday morning, Rahman's team indicated for the very first time that he planned to weigh 215 lbs. at the official weigh-in and would not accept to weigh-in at 205 pounds," the statement read. On Saturday night, I emailed the NYSAC asking for response, but I haven't heard back yet.
