Heather Hardy sues Jake Paul for $10m over 'career-ending' Serrano rematch

Heather Hardy has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Jake Paul, Most Valuable Promotions, COO Bryce Holden, and Holden Boxing, alleging that her August 2023 boxing rematch against Amanda Serrano — staged on the Paul-Nate Diaz card — caused permanent neurological damage that has effectively ended her fighting career.

Hardy, a 24-3 boxer who also went 2-2 in MMA during a stint with Bellator from 2017 to 2019, claims she experienced blurred vision for several days following the defeat to Serrano. Her condition reportedly worsened over the following year, forcing her to withdraw from a 2024 BKFC bout after doctors warned that further head trauma could permanently impair her eyesight.

The complaint accuses Paul and MVP of negligence, alleging they “exploited” Hardy’s difficult financial circumstances to book a fight they knew — or should have known — carried an extraordinary risk of serious neurological harm. According to the filing, medical expert Dr. Curreri concluded that Hardy now suffers from a permanent disability encompassing traumatic brain injury, memory loss, double vision, anxiety disorder, spatial confusion, and depth-perception impairments.

“Dr. Curreri’s assessment connected Hardy’s injury to the rematch itself,” the complaint states, as reported by ESPN. “These symptoms left Ms. Hardy unable to concentrate and, in all likelihood, incapable of maintaining regular employment.”

Beyond the $10 million in damages, Hardy is also seeking measures designed to prevent similar circumstances from affecting other fighters promoted by MVP in the future. Neither Paul nor Most Valuable Promotions had publicly responded to the lawsuit at the time of publication.