Jake Paul hit with $10 million lawsuit over ‘career-ending’ fight

Heather Hardy, a former Bellator mixed martial artist turned boxer, has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Jake Paul and his promotional company Most Valuable Promotions over her August 2023 rematch with Amanda Serrano. Hardy, who compiled a 2-2 record during her MMA stint with Bellator from 2017 to 2019, claims she suffered permanent neurological damage from the bout staged on the Paul-Nate Diaz card. According to the lawsuit, Hardy experienced blurred vision immediately after the fight and subsequently withdrew from a 2024 BKFC bout as her vision problems worsened. Medical evaluation by Dr. Curreri determined that Hardy now suffers from traumatic brain injury, memory loss, double vision, anxiety disorder, spatial confusion, and depth perception issues—symptoms that leave her unable to concentrate and potentially unable to maintain regular employment. The complaint alleges that Paul and MVP "exploited" Hardy's difficult financial position to book an unsafe fight despite knowing the extraordinary risk of neurological harm. Hardy is seeking damages from Paul, MVP co-founder, COO Bryce Holden, and Holden Boxing, along with measures to prevent similar circumstances for other fighters.