Would-Be Paul Opponent Hasim Rahman Jr. Now Set To Box Vitor Belfort

Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

Former UFC champion Vitor Belfort will step into the ring against Hasim Rahman Jr. for the second edition of the DAZN X Series. Hasim Rahman Jr. may never get to box Jake Paul, b…


Evander Holyfield v Vitor Belfort
Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

Former UFC champion Vitor Belfort will step into the ring against Hasim Rahman Jr. for the second edition of the DAZN X Series.

Hasim Rahman Jr. may never get to box Jake Paul, but it looks like the spotlight he’s drawn from feuding with the YouTuber turned boxer has landed him a tougher opponent.

Rahman Jr. is now set to face former UFC champion Vitor Belfort on October 15th in Sheffield, England. That bout will be one half of a double main event for the next DAZN X Series 002, co-promoted by YouTuber KSI’s Misfits Boxing. In the second main, it’s a battle of the YouTube pranksters as Jay Swingler takes on Chad Lebaron aka Cherdleys.

DAZN X Series 001 just went down on Saturday, featuring KSI boxing two opponents in one night. Don’t expect KSI to box at DAZN X Series 002. According to him, he’ll be returning in January against an opponent TBA.

Vitor Belfort is coming off a controversial TKO win over 58-year-old Evander Holyfield for Triller in September 2021. That matchmaking was considered so iffy that the California Athletic Commission refused to sanction it. Rather than cede to the commission’s decision, Triller moved the card to Florida and switched it to an ‘exhibition.’ Holyfield lasted less than two minutes against Belfort.

Hasim Rahman Jr. has a respectable record of 12-1 as a pro, and is also the son of two-time world heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman. Rahman Jr.’s lone defeat comes at the hands of James McKenzie Morrison, the son of former WBO heavyweight champ Tommy Morrison.

Rahman Jr. rose to prominence after being selected as a late replacement to box Jake Paul at Madison Square Garden on August 6th. The whole card ended up being cancelled, though, after Paul accused Rahman Jr. of being unwilling to make the agreed upon weight for their fight. Rahman Jr. would go on to weigh in on August 5th, coming in one pound over the contracted limit.

No weight has been announced for the Vitor Belfort vs. Hasim Rahman Jr. bout, but we doubt Belfort will care. “The Phenom” has been looking pretty big these days since leaving the UFC in 2018. He weighed in at 206.2 for his fight against Holyfield,