Jake Paul has explained that Hasim Rahman Jr will be able to weigh whatever he wants after meeting their 215lb limit on the morning of their fight.
Paul will face Rahman Jr on August 6 at Madison Square Garden with the heavyweight star providing the latest test to Paul's professional credentials. Rahman Jr and Paul have agreed to a 200lb weight limit for their fight with the pair able to rehydrate to around 215lb on the morning of the fight.
Rahman Jr accused his opponent of trying to stack the rules in his favour by using a rehydration clause which he claimed would bring him down to cruiserweight. “Don’t forget you stacked the deck,” Rahman aimed at Paul during the announcement press conference. “Don’t forget you got a stacked deck. You try to bring me down to cruiserweight and then put a rehydration clause in the contract.
"Don’t forget about none of that. [The offer was] take it or leave it. I’m not making no excuses, I’m telling the truth, because you leaving it out. Let the people know. You always talking about, ‘Oh, he’s bigger than me. Oh, he’s a heavyweight,’ and all this stuff and all that. That’s cut, because we coming to cruiserweight.”
However Paul has explained that the 215lb rehydration limit can be broken on fight night with Rahman Jr able to step into the ring at whatever weight he sees fit. "We are fighting at 200lb and he has to weigh in at that on Friday. On Saturday morning he can weigh up to 215lb and on the night of the fight he can weigh in as much as he wants," Paul confirmed to Morning Kombat.
"The New York State Athletic Commission put this in place because they were worried about him having a crazy size advantage. They almost didn't want to sanction the fight because they were concerned with his experience over mine."
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Rahman Jr has now weighed below 211lb for his thirteen professional fights of which he has won twelve. His last fight ended in defeat where he weighed in at 224lb when losing to James McKenzie Morrison in April. Paul has regularly weighed within the 200lb cruiserweight limit throughout his short career, including stepping on the scales at 191lb for his rematch with Tyron Woodley.
Rahman Jr is unconcerned by the rehydration clause and insists he will make weight in time for fight night. “We already close, man,” Rahman said. “We already close. I’m not worried about the weight. I was just in camp for a fight. And then I came and I got right back in the gym.
"I came to New York. I was already in the gym when they called for the fight, so I’m not worried about the weight. The weight not a factor. I fought at 200 pounds for years in the amateurs."
