Former UFC champion Michael Bisping praised Jake Paul for fighting a "proper opponent" for the first time after he announced his fight with Hasim Rahman Jr.
Paul was originally scheduled to fight Love Island star Tommy Fury on August 6 at Madison Square Garden after the Brit withdrew from their meeting last December. But Fury was unable to meet Paul's YouTuber's deadline to prove he could fly to the US for the fight, and was subsequently replaced by Rahman, the son of the former heavyweight world champion.
Rahman is 12-1 as a professional and, according to Paul, has over 100 amateur fights under his belt. Bisping has clashed with Paul on numerous occasions and was in talks to fight the YouTube star last year but has praised him for fighting Rahman, writing: "Credit where credit’s due. Jake Paul finally fighting a proper opponent".
One fan then discredited Rahman as an opponent by looking at the records of the opponents he's beaten during his career, to which Bisping replied: "Yeah but boxers and novice fighters always fight people with padded records at the beginning. At least he’s a boxer, Young and same size."
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Bisping has previously criticised Paul for strategically picking opponents who are not "real boxers", targeting MMA fighters at the end of their careers such as Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. The UFC legend turned down a $500,000 offer to fight Paul and demanded $1million for the fight.
Whilst announcing his latest bout, Paul explained he thinks Rahman is a tougher opponent than Fury. "He has over 100 amateur fights. 10x more than Tommy… but I’m built different. I’m psychotic. CHAOTIC. PROBLEMATIC. 'But he’s a heavyweight,' they said. It don’t matter to me, I’m the fighting flea, they can’t hit me… I’m slippery like butter and with speed like no other," he wrote.
"My power is unique and my style is sleek. I've made the toughest men weak. I’m not afraid of any man or what 'can' happen. No boxer has taken this big of a risk this early in their career. They don't have my heart, they don’t have my soul, they don't have my drive, and they definitely don't have my team. Welcome to history. Take a picture."
Paul sparred Rahman before he made his professional debut in 2020, with the pair meeting again for another session later that year. It was thought the pair were on good terms, until Paul released footage of an altercation with the heavyweight during one of their sparring sessions that turned fiesty.
