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Jake Paul announced Thursday morning that he’ll face Hasim Rahman Jr. at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 6.
Rahman, 31, has competed at heavyweight and looks to be the most difficult opponent Paul has faced in the ring. The son of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, the younger Rahman is more experienced than Paul and carries the size advantage.
Paul was previously booked to fight Tommy Fury, who had to pull out of the fight due to difficulties traveling to the United States.
“There’s no reason why I should be taking this fight,” Paul told ESPN on Thursday. “I want to prove to the boxing world that I’m a real dog, which I am. And I’m gonna go in there against this 12-1 kid who is bigger than Tommy Fury, faster than Tommy Fury — all of these things. And I’m gonna put on the performance of a lifetime and just shut everyone up.”
Paul, 25, hasn’t yet faced an opponent with prior pro boxing experience. He’s 5-0 with two wins against former UFC champion Tyron Woodley, and one each against former UFC fighter Ben Askren, former NBA player Nate Robinson and YouTuber AnEsonGib.
Rahman began his career with 12 straight wins before he lost his most recent bout against James McKenzie Morrison by technical knockout. Rahman weighed in at 224 pounds for that fight, while Paul was 191.4 for his rematch against Woodley in December. The fight in August will reportedly be an eight-round match at 200 pounds.
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