Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) is going all in for its UK debut.
BoxingScene has confirmed that the Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian-led company will hit the British market with an all-women’s lineup on April 5 from the famed Olympia in London. The show will feature a double main event, consisting of unification bouts at lightweight and junior featherweight.
“Sweet” Caroline Dubois, 12-0-1 (5 KOs) and Terri Harper, 16-2-2 (6 KOs) will meet in an anticipated WBC/WBO 135lbs title fight scheduled over 10 rounds. They will be joined by an undisputed 122lbs championship affair between lineal, RING, WBC, IBF and WBO champ Ellie Scotney and WBA titleholder Mayelli Flores, also in a scheduled 10-round summit meeting.
The pair of championship bouts are supported by two more title fights.
Former undisputed 140lbs champion Chantelle Cameron, 21-1 (8 KOs) faces Michaela Kotaskova (11-0-4, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBO 154lbs title. Also on the card, Mexico’s Irma Garcia, 25-5-1 (5 KOs) risks her IBF 115lbs title versus locally based contender Emma Dolan, 8-0 (1 KO).
The event will serve as the launch show to commemorate a new deal between MVP and U.K. subscription channel giant Sky Sports. A press conference will be held on Friday to confirm the partnership.
“MVP’s latest milestone in women’s boxing fittingly comes today on National Girls and Women in Sports Day as the company brings its brand to the UK for the first time,” MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian told BoxingScene in a provided statement. “This card already features three of the top pound-for-pound women's boxers in the world and four world title fights.
“MVP is the global home of women’s boxing, and we look forward to giving these athletes the platform and market exposure they deserve, live from London on Sunday, April 5.”
U.S. streaming rights were not yet revealed as this goes to publication.
Caroline Dubois vs. Terri Harper
The making of Dubois-Harper comes almost immediately on the heels of Dubois’ debut with MVP in December.
The 2012 Olympian for Great Britain and reigning WBC 135lbs titlist was a late addition to the Anthony Joshua-Jake Paul card on Netflix from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. She made the most of the opportunity with a lopsided decision win over Camilla Panatta.
Dubois lodged her third successful title defense but didn’t waste any time in calling for unification bouts as well as a blockbuster fight with lineal and unified 130lbs champion Alycia Baumgardner.
The latter will happen in due time. In the meantime, MVP was happy to accommodate Dubois’ quest to add belts to her collection.
“I'm excited to make this fight,” said Caroline Dubois. “This is a massive fight in my career and for British boxing, both a legacy fight and unification. The goal is to become undisputed world champion and this is the first step.”
Of course, it takes another titleholder to complete any unification bout.
Doncaster’s Harper has won major titles in three weight divisions. Her greatest run came at 130lbs, where she held the WBC title from February 2020 through her November 2021 defeat to Baumgardner.
She is 6-1-1 since that night.
Harper made her way up to 154lbs, where she won the WBA title in a lopsided win over Hannah Rankin. Two successful defenses followed, including a 10-round draw with the legendary Cecilia Braekhus in their October 2023 WBA-WBO unification bout.
A move down to 140lbs resulted in Harper’s only other career setback, when she was stopped in four rounds by then-WBO junior welterweight titlist Sandy Ryan.
Just six months later, Harper rebounded and became a three-division titlist with a points win over unbeaten Rhiannon Dixon. One defense followed, a decision victory over Natalie Zimmerman last May in Doncaster.
“This fight has been a long time in the making,” said Harper. “I’m grateful to MVP for getting it over the line. I’m excited to be headlining MVP’s first UK show!”
Ellie Scotney vs. Mayelli Flores
The second main event is a repurposed affair from last year.
Scotney and Flores were due to meet on November 15, as part of the Netflix card to have been topped by Paul’s novelty fight with Gervonta Davis. The event was canceled as a whole, though not before Scotney was sidelined with an injury.
The timing of the rescheduled affair still provides the 27-year-old Catford native with the opportunity to become the UK’s youngest ever undisputed champion, male or female, in the multi-belt era. She also now gets a home game out of it.
“Nothing is like God’s timing,” noted Scotney. “For that little kid that first glimpsed the stage and stakes that await on Sunday, April 5th, everything has aligned to this very moment.
“I’m beyond grateful to MVP for delivering once again, and now it’s my turn. Destiny awaits, time to make history in my hometown in front of my very own.”
Mexico City’s Flores will fight outside of North America for the first time in her career.
She’s only fought twice before away from Mexico. Both occasions took place in the U.S., including her WBA 122lbs title lifting effort over Nazarena Romero last May in Orlando, Florida.
The fight was her most recent ring appearance, waiting on this fight to make its way back onto the boxing schedule. Like Scotney, Flores is also chasing history as the first woman from Mexico to achieve undisputed championship status.
“I would like to thank God, MVP and my team for this incredible opportunity,” said Flores. “When I heard the fight was moved to the UK, I agreed without hesitation. We Mexicans show up ready to fight anywhere, mentally and physically ready for war. Ellie Scotney is a great and tough fighter, but I am up for the challenge.
“A win over Scotney will put me in the history books as Mexico’s first undisputed female boxer in history. I am ready to make history. I dedicate this fight to my family and all the boxing fans watching in person and at home.”
Scotney’s 122lbs run began with a June 2023 IBF title winning effort over Cherneka Johnson, who is now the undisputed 118lbs champion. She added the WBO title and RING championship in her 10-round decision win over Segolene Lefebvre in April 2024.
Most recently, Scotney lifted the WBC title with a unanimous decision victory over Yamileth Mercado last July 11 on the Netflix card topped by the Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano trilogy clash at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Quotes from the remaining cast:
Chantelle Cameron: “I cannot thank MVP enough for this opportunity to become a two-weight world champion. When we spoke to Jake and Nakisa about signing with MVP there were a lot of promises made, and they have delivered on every one of those promises. Fighting for a world title in the UK on Sky Sports is huge for me and my family. Sunday, April 5th you are going to see the very best of Chantelle Cameron.”
Michaela Kotaskova: “I’ve put my blood, sweat, and tears into the sport for the past decade. I fear no one, and should not be underestimated. This level of opposition is nothing new to me. I’m ready to take everything she’s willing to give.”
Irma “La Torbellino” García: “I’m proud to make my second title defense with one of the biggest promotions in the world, MVP. We know what’s in front of us—this is a serious challenge against an undefeated fighter who’s coming hungry. But my team and I are doing the work, staying locked in, and we’re ready to prove exactly who the champion is. That belt belongs to Mexico, and after this fight, it’s going back home where it belongs.”
Emma Dolan: “I’m looking forward to this fight. It’s felt a long time coming but it’s nearly here now. I can’t wait to show everyone what Carl and I have been working on behind closed doors and bring that title back home.”
Further undercard details are forthcoming.
The announced card will mark the first boxing event at the 140-year-old Olympia since undergoing its £1.3 billion transformation to become London’s ultimate entertainment destination.
Friday’s kickoff press conference will stream live on MVP’s YouTube channeland Sky Sports’ YouTube channel.
