"I was asked by your coaches not to knock you out" - Hasim Rahman Jr. reveals details behind Jake Paul sparring session
Hasim Rahman Jr. recently discussed his famous sparring session with Jake Paul.
'Gold Blooded' is set to face 'The Problem Child' next month at Madison Square Garden on Showtime pay-per-view. The matchup was a short-notice one, as Rahman Jr. was stepping in for Tommy Fury, who had visa issues.
Despite the short-notice nature of the bout, there is a lot of hype behind it already. Much of the reason for the excitement has to do with the fact that Rahman Jr. and Paul have a complicated history together. The two used to be training partners, meaning that they have shared countless sparring sessions.
Both men have spoken about the sparring since the fight's announcement. For his part, Paul initially claimed that their spars were "wars" and that Rahman Jr. got the better of him. However, in their first presser last week, the YouTuber stated that he beat up the heavyweight.
Now, Hasim Rahman Jr. has given his story of their sparring sessions. According to the heavyweight prospect, he was told by Paul's coaches to take it easy on the YouTuber. On The MMA Hour, Rahman Jr. stated:
"I actually was asked by your coaches not to knock you out. So, I was told if I knock him out, I most likely wasn't going to get paid. It was during the pandemic. It was $100 a round—it was easy work sparring for me. It was something I didn't want to throw away."
Watch Rahman Jr. discuss sparring below:
Rahman on sparring Jake Paul: I actually was asked by your coaches not to knock you out.
#TheMMAHour https://t.co/rNzCO2x3pX
Hasim Rahman Jr. shoots down bet with Jake Paul
Hasim Rahman Jr. has no interest in making a bet with Jake Paul.
To this point in his career, 'The Problem Child' has had as much fun betting as he has fighting. Against Ben Askren, he famously bet on himself to win, as well as betting on a tattoo against Tyron Woodley in their first fight in August 2021.
In his fight against Rahman Jr., Paul once again attempted to make a bet. After the heavyweight turned down a wager for money at their first press conference, the 25-year-old then attempted to bet Instagram handles.
Once again, Rahman Jr. declined. On The MMA Hour, the 31-year-old once again commented on the betting situation. Rahman Jr. stated:
"You seen what happened at the press conference man, I'm not going for any of that. I'm not going for any of that, I'm not here for that. That's what he gets off on. I'm not here to entertain him, I'm here to beat him up."
Watch Rahman Jr. discuss the bet below:
Hasim Rahman Jr.: On August 6th I'm gonna whoop his ass.
#TheMMAHour https://t.co/VZ7SQpHPTT