Hasim Rahman Jr will lose 25 per cent of his purse for every pound he weighs in over the 200lb limit for their fight next month, and could earn as little as $5,000.
The 12-1 heavyweight is Paul's toughest opponent to date on paper, having boxed dozens of times as an amateur and a professional. But he isn't a cruiserweight, and has had a strict weight limit imposed in order to get down to the same region as his rival.
And should he miss weight, he claims he will be heavily punished by Paul's promotional outfit Most Valuable Promotions. The heavyweight last tipped the scales at 224lb, and must come in at 200lb in order to make his full purse, before a second weigh-in where he will be allowed to be 214lb on the morning of the fight.
He explained the intensive stipulations during an appearance on The MMA Hour, telling host Ariel Helwani: "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."
Rahman Jr has never weighed less than 211lb as a professional, and it is expected that he will be severely impacted by the weight cut. His last fight saw him come in at 224lb, when he was stopped by Kenzie Morrison in Las Vegas.
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Originally, Paul was due to face Tommy Fury, but the Brit pulled out due to travel issues and the August 6 Madison Square Garden date that he had booked for months hung in the balance. Rahman Jr stepped in to take the fight, and if he can make the weight conditions he will earn simultaneously his own highest career purse, and the smallest one of any of Paul's opponents.
"Another thing that I wasn't able to get across at the press conference was that when they offered me this fight, it was like 'Jake Paul said if you don't take this now, he will never fight you'," Rahman Jr explained. "If you don't take this, you'll never get this opportunity again.
"So I'm like, 'OK, everybody in boxing wants to fight this guy, let me weigh my options and I'll call you back'. They said, 'No, you have to respond in 45 minutes at the top of the hour otherwise the offer is off the table and you'll never ever get the chance again.
"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."
