Jake Paul will be ranked by the World Boxing Council if he manages to defeat Hasim Rahman Jr. next weekend - and it means he can start climbing towards world title glory.
The YouTuber fights at Madison Square Garden on August 6 and Rahman Jr. will be his first opponent with an established professional record.
Advert
Since debuting in 2020, Paul has taken on fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, former NBA point guard Nate Robinson, UFC alumni Ben Askren and former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley twice.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has taken note of Paul's exploits and added an extra stake to his sixth professional contest.
He tweeted: "Coming August 6 @jakepaul will take on Hasim Rahman Jr.
Advert
"Winning this fight will earn him a @WBCBoxing ranking."
'The Problem Child' would be ranked in the cruiserweight division and given the chance to climb the ranks.
If he hit the top 15, he would then be allowed to fight for a world championship.
Paul has said his ultimate goal is to win a world championship and face some of the biggest names in the sport.
Advert
He was originally set to take on longtime rival Tommy Fury at MSG, but the fight had to be called off earlier this month.
Fury was unable to enter the United States for a pre-fight press conference and continued to have issues with his visa.
It is the second time a fight between the pair has fallen through, as Fury withdrew in December after suffering a rib injury and bacterial chest infection.
Advert
Paul thinks Fury will never fight him at this point and added Rahman Jr. is a much tougher test.
"I just don’t think Tommy will fight me after he sees what I do to someone who’s more experienced than him," the 25-year-old told The DAZN Boxing Show.
"[Rahman Jr. is] heavier than [Fury], he’s taller than him.
"Tommy is already scared now so after I beat a professional boxer what do you think is going to happen?"
Advert
Rahman Jr. is the son of former world champion Hasmin Rahman and has previously sparred with Paul, which saw the latter hit back at critics who claim it is proof of a fix.
Topics: Jake Paul
Daniel Marland