"I don't believe that for one second" - Michael Bisping shoots down theory that Jake Paul cancelled the fight when Hasim Rahman Jr. refused to take a dive
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has revealed he doesn't believe the reason Jake Paul vs. Hasim Rahman Jr. was canceled was because the latter refused to take a dive.
On August 6th, Paul was originally due to face Britain's Tommy Fury as the main-event of the card at Madison Square Garden. Fury was unable to fly to the US and was replaced by boxer Hasim Rahman Jr.
A week before the bout, 'The Problem Child' issued a statement saying that the fight was off.
Yet again my opponents has pulled out of the fight… (1/2) https://t.co/7ADOku3glx
Paul revealed that the fight had been canceled due to Rahman Jr. trying to change the weight limit for the bout to 215lbs, not the original 200lb limit that had been agreed.
On the latest episode of the Believe You Me podcast, Bisping discussed fan theories that it was actually canceled due to poor ticket sales and Rahman Jr. refusing to take a dive:
"I don't believe that in the slightest. I don't think for one second they're reaching out trying to get him to take a dive... If Jake Paul reached out to Rahman Jr. and his team and asked him to take a dive, and he said 'Nah, I'm not doing that' and then Jake Paul says 'Well, I'm going to cancel the entire event and put out a statement that makes you look a d*ckhead'."
Bisping added:
"All Rahman's got to do is turn around and say, 'You asked me to throw the f******g fight!' Anyone putting weight into that theory is a damn fool."
Catch the full episode here:
Chael Sonnen defends Jake Paul after Hasim Rahman Jr. admits his body wouldn't let him cut weight
It's not very often the MMA community leaps to the defense of Jake Paul, but Chael Sonnen couldn't believe the reasons Rahman Jr. gave as to why he didn't cut the weight.
Jake Paul revealed that his MSG bout with 'Gold Blooded' had been canceled due to Rahman Jr.'s failure to cut weight and instead asking to change the bout to a different weight class.
While some fans doubted the legitamacy of the reasons given by the former Disney channel star, Rahman claimed that his body refused to let him cut weight for the bout.
Jake don’t want no mf smoke Pt 1/2 https://t.co/A6ih5nleGT
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has disputed Rahman's claims, claiming it is 'impossible' not to lose weight:
"Top Ramen [Rahman Jr.] came out and said, 'My body could not lose any more weight'. That of course is impossible. Of course. It's calories in to calories out. There's something known as physiology. That is impossible. But if you mentally, had to eat the food and couldn't do the work, you don't get to lose weight. I'm not giving him a hard time. I'm saying, for him to bring that forward would not be admissible."
Catch Chael Sonnen's video here: