Heather Hardy seeks more than $10m from Jake Paul and MVP over Serrano rematch

Former WBO featherweight champion Heather Hardy is seeking more than $10 million from Jake Paul, Most Valuable Promotions and other defendants, alleging that her 2023 rematch with Amanda Serrano left her with a permanent brain injury.

Hardy filed a 54-page complaint on September 23 in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division. Paul, MVP, the company’s chief operating officer Bryce Holden and Holden Boxing are named as defendants in claims including gross negligence, negligent undertaking, negligence per se, ordinary negligence and violations of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act.

MVP has denied failing to follow safety protocols. The company said Hardy was medically cleared to box and that the contest took place under the authority and supervision of the relevant athletic commission.

Hardy, 44, claims the defendants exploited her financial circumstances to arrange a “dangerous and unnecessary rematch” with Serrano on the undercard of Paul’s victory over Nate Diaz in Dallas on August 5, 2023. Serrano won by scores of 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91 in what became the final fight of Hardy’s professional career.

According to the complaint, warning signs were ignored to preserve a commercially valuable bout. Hardy alleges that her long-time promoter, Lou DiBella, declined to help arrange the rematch because of safety concerns. The filing says promoter Larry Goldberg, Hardy’s trainers and friends, including Gleason’s Gym founder Bruce Silverglade, also opposed the fight.

MVP disputes Hardy’s account of how the rematch was arranged, saying DiBella contracted for her appearance on the card.

“MVP has great respect for Heather Hardy,” the company said. “We recognize the difficulty of her circumstances and extend our sincere sympathy and hope that she receives the care and support she deserves.

“Heather’s participation on our August 5, 2023 card was arranged through her promoter, Lou DiBella, who contracted for the fight, and Heather publicly expressed her gratitude for the opportunity both before and after the fight. MVP followed applicable protocols for the fight, Heather was medically cleared to compete by the athletic commission overseeing the event, and the bout proceeded under the commission’s authority and supervision in accordance with their standard medical and safety requirements. MVP remains committed to fighter safety and supporting the athletes who compete in our events in full compliance with commission standards.”

Control of the promotion disputed

Holden Boxing, rather than MVP, was the licensed promoter of the Paul-Diaz event. Hardy alleges that Holden Boxing was used as a “liability shield”, allowing MVP to benefit financially without formally assuming the regulatory responsibilities of the licensed promoter. Holden became MVP’s chief operating officer in February 2024, six months after the event.

The lawsuit further alleges that the defendants concealed who controlled the promotion, denied Hardy independent and conflict-free representation and breached Texas boxing regulations and federal law.

Hardy and Serrano first fought in September 2019, when Serrano won a unanimous decision in a featherweight title contest. Hardy then lost to Jessica Camara before recording victories in October 2022 and February 2023 ahead of the rematch. CompuBox credited Serrano with landing 242 power punches across their 10-round second meeting.

The extent of Hardy’s health problems became clearer in early 2024, when she was preparing to enter bare-knuckle boxing. She withdrew from her planned debut after losing vision during light sparring and said she had been advised that the symptoms were consistent with repeated head trauma.

The complaint says an ophthalmologist traced Hardy’s vision problems to her brain and that she subsequently retired. It states: “Dr. Curreri concluded that Ms. Hardy now suffers from a permanent disability marked by traumatic brain injury, memory loss, double vision, anxiety disorder, spatial confusion, and perception and depth inaccuracies, among other impairments.”

The filing continues: “According to Dr. Curreri, these symptoms left Ms. Hardy unable to concentrate and, in all likelihood, incapable of maintaining regular employment. Dr. Curreri’s assessment connected Hardy’s injury to the rematch itself.”

Earlier in 2026, Hardy launched a GoFundMe campaign in which she said the damage sustained during her career had affected her health, vision and ability to work consistently. She claims she now relies on Medicaid and prescription medication and can coach for only a few hours before her symptoms force her to stop.

Hardy previously sued over brain injuries

The case follows separate litigation launched by Hardy in New York in September 2025 over brain damage she alleged had accumulated during the latter stages of her career.

That complaint named DiBella, DiBella Entertainment, Boxing Insider and Boxing Insider Promotions among a wider group of defendants that also included equipment manufacturers and Dr Nitin Sethi, medical director for the New York State Athletic Commission. Hardy separately brought a claim against the commission in the New York State Court of Claims.

Her allegations against the promoters centred on her October 2022 victory over Calista Silgado and February 2023 win over Taynna Cardoso at Sony Hall in New York. Hardy argued that promoters shared responsibility for fighter safety even where a boxer had been medically cleared by the athletic commission. The defendants disputed those allegations.

The Serrano rematch was referenced in that complaint, which stated that Hardy had absorbed 278 punches during the fight, but Hardy did not make a specific claim of liability over the Dallas contest or name MVP, Paul or Holden Boxing as defendants.

DiBella and DiBella Entertainment removed the New York case to federal court in January 2026. On March 23, they informed the court that a settlement in principle had been reached over Hardy’s claims against them. The remaining case was remanded to New York State Supreme Court two days later after the other defendants had not joined in the removal.

That chronology could become relevant to the latest case. Although the Serrano rematch took place more than three years before the new complaint was filed, Hardy argues that her claims remain within the permitted time limit because she did not discover the defendants’ alleged role in arranging the contest until her lawyers investigated the matter in March 2026.

The earlier New York complaint therefore predates that claimed discovery and pursued other parties over injuries Hardy alleged had developed before the Serrano rematch, while mentioning the Dallas fight without assigning liability for it. Paul, MVP, Holden and Holden Boxing will be able to challenge Hardy’s limitation argument as well as her allegations concerning their role in arranging and controlling the event.

Hardy retired with a professional boxing record of 24-3, including four stoppage victories, and also competed in mixed martial arts.

In addition to damages and legal costs, she is seeking an injunction requiring the defendants to introduce measures intended to prevent similar harm to other fighters. Her complaint cites the cases of Isis Sio, who was placed in a medically induced coma after being knocked unconscious by Jocelyn Camarillo in March 2026, and Shadasia Green, who was hospitalised with a brain bleed after facing Lani Daniels the following month, as part of an alleged wider pattern. Those allegations have not been adjudicated.