Former WBO featherweight champion Heather Hardy has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $10 million from Jake Paul, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), MVP Chief Operating Officer Bryce Holden and Holden Boxing over her 2023 rematch with Amanda Serrano.

The 54-page complaint was filed on September 23, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas. The case names Paul, Valuable Promotions LLC, Holden Boxing LLC and Bryce Holden as defendants. Hardy has requested a jury trial.

The lawsuit stems from Hardy’s fight against seven-division world champion Amanda Serrano on August 5, 2023. The bout took place on the undercard of Jake Paul’s boxing match against former UFC star Nate Diaz at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Hardy alleges that the defendants used her reputation and financial circumstances to arrange what her complaint describes as a “dangerous and unnecessary rematch” with Serrano.

The complaint states that the defendants “knew, or should have known, that the bout presented an extraordinary and foreseeable risk of serious neurological harm to Hardy.”

According to Hardy’s lawsuit, the fight ultimately ended her professional boxing career and caused permanent neurological injuries.

Hardy and Serrano had first fought in 2019, when Serrano defeated Hardy to retain her unified featherweight titles. Hardy subsequently fought three more times, losing to Jessica Camara before recording victories in October 2022 and February 2023.

The lawsuit portrays Hardy as being near the end of her career when the rematch was arranged. It alleges that several people around Hardy, including her longtime promoter Lou DiBella, opposed the second Serrano fight because of concerns about the potential risks.

The complaint also says that promoter Larry Goldberg, Hardy’s trainers and friends, including Gleason’s Gym founder Bruce Silverglade, were opposed to the matchup.

Hardy alleges that MVP bypassed DiBella and took advantage of her financial situation to secure the fight.

MVP was not the licensed promoter of the Paul-Diaz event. That role was held by Holden Boxing, which was operated by Bryce Holden. Holden later became MVP’s chief operating officer in February 2024.

Hardy’s lawsuit argues that Holden Boxing’s role allowed MVP to benefit financially from the promotion while avoiding some of the regulatory responsibilities associated with being the officially licensed promoter.

The complaint describes Holden Boxing as a “liability shield” that allowed MVP to “enjoy the financial benefits of promotion without formally assuming the regulatory responsibilities of the licensed promoter.”

During the 20-minute fight, Serrano reportedly landed 242 power punches on Hardy, according to CompuBox statistics.

Hardy has not fought professionally since the loss.

The lawsuit says the extent of Hardy’s problems became more apparent in early 2024 while she was preparing for a bare-knuckle fight. During light sparring, she reportedly experienced a loss of vision.

Hardy says an ophthalmologist subsequently told her that the problem originated in her brain, contributing to her decision to retire from competition.

The complaint cites an assessment by Dr. Curreri, who Hardy says concluded that she suffered permanent disabilities following the fight.

The lawsuit 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.”

It further states: “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.”

Hardy says she now relies on Medicaid and prescription medication to manage her daily life. She also claims that she can coach only for a few hours before her symptoms force her to stop.

The former champion is bringing five causes of action against the defendants: gross negligence, negligent undertaking, negligence per se, ordinary negligence and an alleged violation of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act.

She alleges that the defendants violated Texas boxing regulations and federal law by concealing who controlled the promotion, improperly using Holden Boxing as the licensed promoter and failing to provide her with independent and conflict-free representation.

Hardy is seeking more than $10 million in damages, in addition to legal costs. She is also requesting an injunction requiring the defendants to take measures intended to prevent similar incidents involving other fighters.

The complaint argues that Hardy’s case was not an isolated incident. It points to other fighters and incidents that Hardy says demonstrate broader concerns about fighter safety.

Two examples identified in the complaint involve Isis Sio and Shadasia Green.

According to the lawsuit, Sio fought Jocelyn Camarillo on an MVP-promoted ProBoxTV card in March 2026. Camarillo reportedly knocked Sio unconscious in the first round, after which Sio was taken from the ring on a stretcher and placed in a medically induced coma.

The complaint also refers to Shadasia Green, who was hospitalized after suffering a brain bleed during her April 2026 fight against Lani Daniels.

The lawsuit states: “Green complained of head pain in the fourth round and cried out for help, yet the fight continued until the ninth round before officials stopped it.”

Hardy uses these cases to support her broader allegations that the defendants placed commercial interests ahead of fighter safety. Those claims remain allegations made in the lawsuit and will have to be tested through the legal process.

The complaint also accuses MVP of “forum shopping and rule bending.”

Hardy alleges that MVP sought commercially valuable matchups and, where regulatory or safety concerns existed, selected jurisdictions with less stringent oversight.

The lawsuit identifies Paul’s November 2024 fight against Mike Tyson and the canceled November 2025 exhibition involving Gervonta “Tank” Davis as examples of what Hardy describes as this practice.

The lawsuit was filed more than three years after the Serrano rematch. Hardy argues that her claims remain timely because she says she did not discover the defendants’ alleged role in arranging the fight until her attorneys investigated the matter in March 2026.

The case is currently in its early stages. The defendants will have an opportunity to respond to Hardy’s allegations and challenge the claims brought against them.

The filing itself does not establish that the defendants were negligent or responsible for Hardy’s injuries. Those issues will ultimately be addressed through the legal process.

The lawsuit places the circumstances surrounding the 2023 Serrano-Hardy rematch under renewed scrutiny and seeks more than $10 million in damages from Jake Paul, MVP, Bryce Holden and Holden Boxing.