Jake Paul’s ‘shady’ move comes to light as Hasim Rahman Jr explains punishment clause

Jake Paul’s ‘shady’ rehydration clause for his August 6 clash with Hasim Rahman Jr is kicking up a fuss. The pair are set to meet each other next month at the historic Madison Square Garden at 200lb.

Rahman Jr – who usually operates at heavyweight – has stepped on the scales as heavy as 264lb in the past and has never dipped as low as he will do for this fight. But the son of former world heavyweight champion, Hasim Rahman, is not just restricted to a career-lowest weight — he is also unable to come in above 216lb during a second-day weigh-in on Saturday morning.

And if Rahman Jr fails to meet the weight requirements he is in for a hefty fine. Talking to The MMA Hour, the son of a legend said: “I am being fined, after four ounces, every pound over I lose 25 per cent of my purse. They leave a lot of stuff out when you’re dealing with Jake Paul and his antics. For example, if I came in at 202lb for the weigh-in, and then 216lb for the rehydration weigh-in then I would get the minimum, which I think is $5,000.

“That’s because of two pounds they are that scared. They want to put all that pressure on me to make the weight to say ‘you’re losing 25 per cent for every pound you’re over’, so if I come in 204lb, I get the bare minimum which is capped at $5,000. It’s a lot that goes into these fights.”

“Mind you, this is the biggest opportunity of my life, it’s not something you can take lightly. So I said, ‘OK, all these cards stacked against me I know I believe in myself,’ and I know I’m going to beat this kid up and I just use everything that’s against me as motivation.”

Rahman Jr is Paul’s toughest test to date on paper. The American is 12-1 as a professional boxer and has had an extensive amateur career. The YouTube star, meanwhile, is 5-0 and will be stepping up to face the first “real boxer” of his career on fight night.