Antonio Tarver Out of Fight vs. Frank Mir on Jake Paul-Ben Askren Card

Former light heavyweight boxing champion Antonio Tarver has been forced to pull out of his previously scheduled boxing match against former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir on the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren undercard.

The Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission has prevented the 52-year-old Tarver from participating because he did not meet the requirements to fight, commission executive director Matt Woodruff told ESPN's Marc Raimondi and Ariel Helwani.

The ESPN duo explained the problem in more detail:

"Woodruff told ESPN that Tarver was not approved for a license based on a state bylaw having to do with his age. The Georgia code states that anyone 50 years or older must have participated in at least 10 pro fights in the immediately preceding 10 years, 'including at least four professional matches or contests of boxing in the immediately preceding four years.'

"Tarver, a multiple-time light heavyweight champion, has fought just five times in the last decade and has not fought at all in six years."

Former IBF cruiserweight champion Steve "USS" Cunningham is being tabbed as a replacement. However, Woodruff noted the fight is pending the submission of medicals.

The Tarver-Mir fight was supposed to serve as a warm-up for a main event between American YouTuber/professional boxer Jake Paul and retired mixed martial artist Ben Askren. The two are slated to box on April 17 in Atlanta.

Tarver holds a 31-6-1 lifetime professional boxing record with one no-contest. He once held the WBA (super), WBC, IBO, IBA The Ring and WBF light heavyweight titles after beating Roy Jones Jr. in May 2004. Twenty-two of his wins came by way of knockout. His last career fight was a draw against Cunningham in August 2015.

As for Mir, the 41-year-old held a 19-13 professional record (16-11 UFC). He fought in the UFC for 16 years, winning the heavyweight title in 2004 and then again in 2008. Mir has since moved on to Bellator, where he is 1-2. His most recent fight occurred in October 2019 when he defeated Roy Nelson by unanimous decision.