Taylor Wins Close Decision (Again) over Serrano in Trilogy bout

NEW YORK--Katie Taylor retained the Undisputed Super Lightweight title with her third consecutive razor thin, this time majority over Amanda Serrano in front of a sold out crowd of over 19,700 at Madison Square Garden.

The fight lacked the action of the first two classic bouts between the two. This was more of a thinking boxing match that saw Serrano try tp press the action and Taylor going back to her stellar amateur roots by moving side to side to create angles and darting in and out. Serrano thew more, but The fighters landed the same amount.

In round eight, Taylor started to swell under her right eye.

Taylor, 135.8 lbs of Bray, IRE won by scores of 97-93 twice and 95-95 and is now 25-1. Serrano, 136 lbs of Carolina, PR is 47-4-1.

Katie Taylor

On Amanda Serrano

I’m just so grateful for Amanda Serrano. What an amazing champion. And we created history together three times. My name will always be embedded with hers forever. I’m very very happy about that. What we’ve been able to create over these last few years has been unbelievable. It’s amazing to have a rival like that in the sport. And this has brought [the world to] an event like this tonight, an all-female card, because of what myself and Amanda have been able to do to produce over the last few years. Both myself and Amanda are just sitting back very very proud right now.

The whole game plan tonight was to not let her feet set. I knew I was capable of a performance like that in the other two fights as well, but I just got caught up in a bit of a war [in our first] two fights. I’m so happy that I was able to stay disciplined tonight and just outbox her. 

On headlining an all female card:

“Absolutely unbelievable to be part of a show like this and to be headlining an all female card. It was an absolute privilege. These are the sort of opportunities that people didn’t think were even possible a few years ago.”

On her performance

“I thought I showed a very smart performance, a very clever performance. This performance I knew I was capable of against Amanda. The two fights previously ended up as complete wars and I came out of the ring battered and bruised and I’m thinking, what? Why am I just standing there fighting with our newest cable and moving my legs like that? I’m just outboxing her and I’m just happy I was able to produce that tonight and execute the game plan that Ross has been telling me to do all along. So yeah, I’m very very satisfied right now.”

“I think just my movement was causing her a bit of trouble. My footwork was causing her trouble and she wasn’t able to set her feet. I’m not sure what was going through her mind. But I think I just made the fight a bit easier for myself. […] I used the ring a lot better tonight. My feet were very good tonight. I felt fresh in there. I felt sharp in there. I [could see] that the punch was coming. So yeah, I definitely felt like it was my kind of fight.”

On retirement: 

“I don’t know. I’m just going to enjoy this victory right now and um sit back, reflect, and then I’ll make a decision and that’s it. But very very happy with tonight’s performance and just the amount of work that we put in over the last few months, myself and Ross. It was uh a grueling few months in preparation for these kind of fights and I’m so glad I was able to showcase what I could do tonight.”

On future Croke Park match:

“Maybe in Croke Park. That would be unbelievable.”

On the support from fans:

“These people are spending their hard earned money to go over and support me. It just means the world honestly. I can’t believe that this is my life. I’m headlining the show at Madison Square Garden. I’m looking back on the whole journey. What an absolute what an amazing life. These are nights that I dreamed of as a kid and sitting here again as a winner. I’m so happy, so grateful.”

On if a trilogy with Chantelle Cameron is possible

I think Chantelle has to see if she can sell out 10,000 seat arena first. I don’t think she can sell out any stadium at all. I think I made her more money than she really deserves. 

Baumgardner Decisions Miranda; Remains Undisputed

Alycia Baumgardner retained her undisputed super featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Jennifer Miranda.

Baumgardner, 130 lbs of Dallas via Fremont, OH won by scores of 98-92 twice and 97-93 and is now 16-1. Miranda. 129.8 lbs of Madrid, SPA is 12-1.

Alycia Baumgardner

On being co-main to Taylor-Serrano 3

“I first want to say I am so thankful to be here as a part of a historic event. I’m so thankful that MVP has taken the time and given the women the opportunity to showcase their skills and just be under the lights tonight was an awesome experience.”

On getting back in the ring 

“Yeah, I was happy to be back in there. You guys have to understand it’s been two years since I’ve done a 10 round fight. So, just to be back in there to get those rounds meant everything to me. So, I was just enjoying every round that I could when I was in there.”

On if she’d challenge Amanda Serrano or Katie Taylor

“I definitely would love the challenge with either fighter.” 

On what drove her successful undisputed title defense

“It was the grit. It was the bite down. [My trainer] said, you know, go forward. I knew that I couldn’t get my jab off the way I typically do to find that range and so we just kept the fight to go forward and just, you know, dig deep.”

On the main event Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano

“I thought the main event was perfect. A lot of fans were probably expecting a fight like the second fight, but these are two smart fighters. You know, they know how to box. They know how to use the ring. They have experience and I think they made the fight very clear on who the winner was. And again, they box smart. You guys have to understand, I know y’all like a blood bath, but you know, we got brains at the end of the day that we got to take care of. So, they did a great job in there boxing and showing the skill set that women do have.

On Jennifer Miranda

She had a smarter game plan in terms of what to engage in and what not to engage in. You know what I mean? So, you know, she definitely kept her distance on not wanting to come in. And just like anything, you make adjustments as you go. We have an idea on what somebody’s going to fight like, but we also make the adjustments each round. And so that’s what I was doing [My corner] was saying, you know, boxing, pressing, and making it ugly.

On working with Derrick James

Yeah, it’s been a great experience. When you start with a new trainer, you have to get a feel of everything. You have to understand how that’s going to feel in the fight. It’s one thing to be in training camp. It’s another thing to be in a fight. And I liked what I had in the corner this time. At the end of the day, it is up to Alycia Baumgardner to do what she has to do. I can have you in my corner, but it is up to me to to decide what I got to do. So, at this stage in my life, I need a team that’s going to encourage me in there and let me know what I need to do. But ultimately, it’s up to me. So, I enjoyed my corner tonight.

On what’s next for her

“Listen, the sky is the limit, y’all. I’m so excited to be with MVP and I know they have something exciting for me coming up and for the future. So many options to move up to 135, make these big super fights. These are the challenges that I need. I want to fight, and I want to fight an experienced fighter who’s going to bring just as much challenge as I am. That’s what’s going to make me great and that’s what’s going to make me be set apart from the rest of the women in boxing. 

“My inspiration just comes from the growth that I want for myself as a woman, as an athlete and what I’m able to possess in the ring. You know, I’ve been boxing for 23 years and I’m still growing. I don’t even think I’ve hit my prime yet. So, there’s just so much more to tap into and I have a great team who’s allowing that to come out.” 

On the evolution of women’s boxing and what’s next for the sport

“The next evolution is just women knowing who they are each and every day. I think we’ve seen through the fight week  with the looks and being a beauty, being a beast, being in our femininity, but also being the warriors that we are when it comes to fight night. So, it’s just like showing two

different sides, but also knowing that we have a job to do and to clock in.

Green Decisions Marshall; Unifies Super Middleweight Titles

Shadasia Green unified her WBO and won the IBF Super Middleweight World Title with a split decision over Savannah Marshall.

In round four, Green was deducted a point for holding.

Green, 167.2 lbs of Paterson, NJ won by scores of 96-93 and 95-94 while Marshall took a card 96-93.

Green is now 16-1. Marshall, 167 lbs of Hartepol, UK is 13-2.

Shadasia Green

On what Savannah Marshall told her post-fight–and if Marshall thinks Green can beat Claressa Shields

“Savannah told me something today. I don’t know if I should share it, but she said she said to me today—which I didn’t even realize that she might have had noticed—-but she said “You need to have more belief in yourself. I’ve never been in the ring with somebody like you, that hits as hard as you do.” She said, “I’ve been in the ring with [Claressa Shields] and you could take her out.” And I’m like damn, you know hearing that from Savannah? And Savannah can punch too. I’m not sitting up here saying making it seem like that wasn’t a tough fight. So I would love to fight Clarissa Shields and when the time comes and it’s big, let’s do it.”

On receiving the $250k Performance of the Night bonus, and if she’ll buy anything

“I don’t live like that. […] I’m going to relocate my wife and my family to a better neighborhood so we can be safe before I get kidnapped. Maybe take my nieces and nephews to the water park, do something for my mom and pop. I got you, coach. I hear y’all. I see y’all looking.”

On training to face Savannah Marshall

“I’m just blessed and honored, man. Going into tonight, I meant everything I said this week, you know, and camp’s really been different, these last couple of camps dealing with my coaches being sick, in and out, and we showed up together as a unit today and we displayed greatness.” 

On facing Savannah Marshall

“Shout out to Savannah Marshall. She was a tough cookie, man. She caught me with a good shot, too. Buckled my left leg. I ain’t never been hit like that before, but I’m just honored to be here today and be victorious. Thanks to the man upstairs, and thanks to these two fellas [Nakisa and Jake] for making this happen, Katie and Amanda, for real.”

On coming back from Franchon Crews-Dezurn loss to come out victorious tonight

“I had to go back to the drawing board and get my mental together. This game is definitely 90, 95% mental. If your mental ain’t intact, then you know… […] So that’s what I did. I went back to the drawing board, got myself together, reunited with my coaches and just tried to show up and be a better person. And self-belief. It’s funny. I was watching Jake fight Chavez Jr. last week and he said it in the ring and I shook my head. I was sitting in front of the TV and he just kept saying ‘self-belief, self-belief, self-belief.’ I think that’s what’s been missing from my career for a long time. Sometimes I’m hard on myself and I don’t always believe, but today I believe, and I’ve been believing all camp. I kept saying I’mma beat this girl. I kept saying that.”

On facing Claressa Shields 

“I would love to fight Clarissa Shields. Of course, I want to go and rest or whatever, but I think that’s the fight to be made.” 

On playing up or down to her competition:

“I just think it’s a lot of my ability you guys haven’t been able to see. I’ve always had this thing about me. Even when I play basketball, I always either play down to my competition or played up. It’s been a bad habit all my life. My mother has told me this my whole life. So, when you throw some names out there like I know I’ve got to be on my A game, and I find myself not slacking and my coaches don’t let me slack either. The best competition is always going to bring the best out of me.”

On what she learned from herself tonight

“I learned that that dog is still in me no matter what. I’m up for every challenge. I got that mean streak back—I thought I lost it. […] The mean streak is still alive and I’m glad to know that.”

Scotney Decisions Mercado to Become Unified Super Bantamweight Title

Ellie Scotney became the IBF/WBC/WBO super bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Yamileth Mercado.

Scotmey, 121.6 lbs of London won by scores of 100-90 and 98-92 twice and is now 11-0. Mercado, 119.6 lbs of Mexico is 24-4.

Ellie Scotney

On adding the WBC title to her unified collection

“My nan—I always mention her because she was my biggest fan—and we always said ‘complete the collection’. So, I’m one step away from Undisputed and that’s what I want next.” 

On being on Netflix and getting her name in front of the world

“Thanks to Netflix and MVP, they gave me a platform where I can really announce myself and I felt like I did that tonight. This is such a big journey with them and I feel like this is just the start.”

On 3-min rounds for women’s boxing

“’I’m 11-0 and I ain’t got a stoppage. I think I’d get a stoppage over 3 minutes and my brother would be a lot richer. He’s lost a fortune betting on it. So, yeah, if we had three minutes I’d get a stoppage. That’s my excuse.”

On preparing for facing Yamileth Mercado

“I’ll be honest with you, it’s been a hard camp. So, I felt like this camp showed me more who I am than anything else. I went in that ring and I felt like I [had been holding] a lot in, and it was let out tonight. So, it just showed me that I’m number one in the division. I believed that before, but I feel like this has cemented it—and it’s just the start.” 

On when she’ll be back 

“Definitely by the end of the year. I want to enjoy my Christmas this year.”

On losing friend Georgia O’Connor and having Georgia’s dad join her during her walk out 

“Georgia was a a soul of the earth. Like if you ever met her or even if you heard her story, you’d realize what she was. And you know, we made a promise just before she passed. It was a blessing to see her get married. And you know, she battled cancer like it was nothing. I just felt like having her dad with me tonight was something that will live forever. I felt her there [in the ring with me]. So yeah, tonight was so much bigger than me. It was all for her. And I just yeah I felt like she was watching over me and that would be the biggest takeaway from tonight.”

Cherneka Johnson Stops Metcalf in 9 To Win Undisputed Bantamweight Title

Cherneka Johnson won the undisputed bantamweight stoppage with a ninth round stoppage over Shuretta Metcalf.

In round four, Johnson scored a knockdown when she landed a right hand and both fighters fell to the canvas.

Jonson continued to beat down Metcalf and the fight was stopped by referee Charlie Fitch on the advice of the ringside doctor at two seconds.

Johnson, 116.6 lbs of Gold Coast, AUS is 18-2 with eight knockouts. Metcalf, 117 lbs of Dallas is 14-5-1.

Cherneka Johnson

On being part of history on Taylor vs. Serrano 3

“When I was out there and Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano were walking out, that stadium was absolutely electric. I had goosebumps and it was like ‘wow this is truly happening.’ To see that moment and to experience that feeling? It’s special.

“It’s absolutely awesome what everyone is doing. Everyone has their own, I guess, agendas and they obviously want to win the fights. But we all put in the hard work to get here and it’s not easy, but we show up anyway and we get the job done.”

On becoming the first Australian undisputed champion, male or female, in the 4 belt era

“It hasn’t hit me yet, I don’t think. It still sort of feels surreal to even be here and to be in this position.”

Cameron Retains Interim Title with Decision over Camara

Chantelle Cameron retained the WBC Super Lightweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jessica Camara.

Cameron, 139 lbs of Nothhampton, ENG won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92 and is now 21-1. Camara., 139.4 lbs of Montreal is 14-5-1.

Ramla Ali won a eight-round unanimous over Lila Furtado in a super bantamweight bout.

In round eight, Ali began to bleed around the right eye,

Ali of London won by scores of 78-74 twice and 77-75 and is now 10-2. Furtado of Sao Paulo, BRA is 11-3.

Ramla Ali

On the future of women’s boxing

“I think the future of women’s boxing is only growing. Look at the outcome tonight. Look how many people showed out to support women’s boxing. It’s exciting to be a part of and to see the growth and you know that those numbers are definitely growing and being more active with fights.”

On which fight was most special

“You have to give credit to every woman who stepped into the ring tonight, who showed out, who put in the 10, 12 weeks of hard work, who put everything on the line. You can’t fault that. So, I think every fight uh deserves its flowers.”

On her next fight

“I’ve been out of the ring for like 13 months now and I’ve also changed coaches. I was living in LA for 3 years. My father got sick so I moved back to London. I’ve got a new coach now. And when I started training with him, he asked me, “What is it you want to do?” And I just said to him, “I just want to take one fight at a time.” Cuz a couple years ago, I was like, “This is what I want. This is what I want. This is what I want.” And it never quite worked out. So I just became a bit superstitious. And now I’m just like, I just want to take whatever fight comes and just take it one by one.”

Tamm Thibeault stopped previously undefeated Mary Casamassa in round five of their eight-round middleweight bout.

Thibeault scored a knockdown in round one,

Thibeault of Montreal got the stoppage at 2:18 and is now 3-0 with two knockouts. Casamassa of Pittsburgh is 6-1.

amm Thibeault

On what Taylor vs. Serrano 3 meant to her

“To be honest, I just feel really grateful like we were in a card stacked with women just as talented as each other. And, you know, [we] created new dreams tonight. I truly believe that what’s going to make women’s boxing grow is to get more people into it, start at the grassroots, and we’ve got to create dreams for that. We’ve got to create dreams for little girls who want to come up and be just like us, right? 

I’ve said that from such a long time ago. The only way women’s boxing grows is if other women come out and support us. And they did today. Every woman in the crowd was cheering and it was just such a phenomenal movement to be a part of.

On fighting 3 min rounds

I fought three minute rounds for like eight years. Like we talk about this in the professionals, but we don’t talk about this in Olympic style boxing. The gap between men and women has been erased essentially. There’s equal value in both. And like we’re doing all right. Olympic champion as a female, Olympic champion as a male is the same. I’m not saying three minutes or two minutes is what’s best. Look, I’m not a doctor. It’s not my expertise. I’ve done three minutes

forever for most of my amateur career. I want to keep doing it. And if people want to do it, then so be it. But that’s on them.

On which fight she liked most

I think every fight was special in itself. That’s what makes this card so historic. You can’t really choose because you have people like Shadasia who are coming up as the underdog surpass themselves and you have two legends like Katie and Amanda fighting each other for a third time and you have Neeks [Johnson] over here who just became undisputed. [Every fight was] so big in itself, and they all deserve to be honored equally.

NOTES…Metcalf became the first Australian Undisputed Champion.




AUDIO: Skye Nicolson Previews Title Defense against Dyana Vargas Plus Update on Amanda Serrano fight






VIDEO: Skye Nicolson Previews Title Defense against Dyana Vargas Plus Update on Amanda Serrano fight




MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS CONFIRMS JAKE PAUL VS. MIKE TYSON HAS BEEN SANCTIONED AS A PROFESSIONAL FIGHT, STREAMING LIVE EXCLUSIVELY ON NETFLIX ON SATURDAY, JULY 20 

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Holden Boxing today confirmed that the heavyweight boxing mega-event between The Problem Child, Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) vs. the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) will officially be a sanctioned, professional fight by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). The heavyweight matchup will be contested over 8, 2-minute rounds with 14oz. gloves. In the co-main event, undisputed super lightweight world champion Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs), will step back in the ring for the most anticipated rematch in women’s boxing history against boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs). The event will stream live globally, exclusively on Netflix on Saturday, July 20, 2024 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

Tickets for Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs Serrano 2 will go on sale May 16 at 12pm ET; To sign-up for access to tickets in advance of the on-sale, click here.

“Mike Tyson and Jake Paul signed on to fight each other with the desire to do so in a sanctioned professional fight that would have a definitive outcome,” said Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian. “Over the past six weeks MVP has worked with its partners to satisfy the requirements of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR) to sanction Paul Vs Tyson and we are grateful that we have gotten to this point. MVP has championed fighter choice since its inception, including advocating for women’s boxing to be contested with 2 or 3 minute rounds based on the particular fight matchup. Paul vs Tyson and Taylor vs Serrano 2 will both be contested with 2 minute rounds and each mega-fight will have its winner. Thank you to the TDLR and Holden Boxing for their efforts throughout this process to date and we look forward to working closely with them as we approach fight night.” 

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. Since inception MVP has consistently produced the biggest combat sports pay-per-view events. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. The company signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which is the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About Netflix

Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services, with 270 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

About AT&T Stadium

AT&T Stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year-round. Outside the stadium, the Miller Lite® House is a branded destination that boasts a 70-yard Cowboys turf field featuring field games, four video boards and over 60 television screens, two fantasy football screen walls and over 87,000 outdoor square-footage for event day experiences. The space also features two beer gardens and a walk-in beer cooler. The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 92 works of art by 62 established and emerging artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue. In addition to being the home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Final Four, the 2015 inaugural College Football Playoff Championship Game, the 2015 50th Anniversary Academy of Country Music Awards show and WrestleMania 32 & 38. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches and other special events. For more information, go to attstadium.com.




NETFLIX AND MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCE THE MOST ANTICIPATED WOMEN’S BOXING REMATCH IN HISTORY, KATIE TAYLOR VS AMANDA SERRANO, STREAMING LIVE EXCLUSIVELY ON NETFLIX ON SATURDAY, JULY 20 

Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced that after two years, Matchroom’s undisputed super lightweight world champion Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs), will step back in the ring for the most anticipated rematch in women’s boxing history against boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs). Taylor vs. Serrano 2 will stream live globally, exclusively on Netflix on Saturday, July 20, 2024 from the 80,000-seat capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. 

Taylor vs. Serrano 2 will be the co-main event to the recently announced heavyweight match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson as part of Netflix and MVP’s first-ever partnership. This will mark Taylor and Serrano’s long-awaited rematch following their historic bout at Madison Square Garden in 2022, where they made history as the first ever women fighters to headline an event in the iconic venue’s history. The bout ended in a narrow split decision in favor of Taylor and garnered global acclaim for both fighters earning Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year for 2022. Taylor vs. Serrano was also nominated for Sports Business Journal’s Event of the Year, a testament to the global reach and power of the event. The rematch between the ESPN-ranked pound-for-pound powerhouses, #2 Taylor and #3 Serrano, will be contested for the undisputed super lightweight championship marking a jump of three weight classes from Serrano’s normal featherweight division as Taylor puts all her super lightweight belts on the line. The women’s undisputed megafight will be contested across 10, two-minute rounds, Serrano’s only break from fighting 12×3, the men’s championship standard, for the remainder of her career. Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 is anticipated to be the biggest boxing event in modern history, and fans can sign up for presale ticket access at mostvaluablepromotions.com

Irish sensation Katie Taylor once again reaches for greatness as she meets Amanda Serrano in a rematch – with Taylor looking to add another remarkable chapter to her incredible boxing career as she defends her undisputed Super-Lightweight title. Taylor defeated Serrano at a sold-out Madison Square Garden in April 2022 in a stunning fight of the year contest that saw Taylor successfully defend the undisputed Lightweight title that she won in the same arena in June 2019 against Belgian Delfina Persoon. Taylor became a two-weight undisputed champion in her last outing in November, overcoming Chantelle Cameron in a rematch of their closely fought battle in April, with both fights taking place at a sold-out 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. She first got her hands on world honors in her seventh pro fight, claiming the vacant WBA Lightweight title in Cardiff against Anahi Sanchez in October 2017, and has been in 17 straight world title contests since that night en-route to becoming a two-weight undisputed ruler.

“This is the rematch the world has wanted to see and I’m delighted that it’s finally happening,” said Katie Taylor. “The first fight in New York was obviously an epic occasion and it more than lived up to the billing, and I’m sure the rematch will be no different. I want to thank Matchroom and DAZN for their help in making the fight possible and I’m looking forward to defending my titles as Undisputed World Champion in Dallas on Saturday, July 20.”

Amanda Serrano, the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion and seven-division world champion, started her current featherweight title reign by defeating Heather Hardy in a brutal 10-round fight in 2019 to win the WBO belt, and has since defended her WBO belt six times. Serrano offered Hardy a chance at redemption in August 2023, but successfully defended her undisputed featherweight world champion title for the first time in a decisive 10 round unanimous decision victory. Serrano also won a blood-soaked war against WBA featherweight champion Erika Cruz in February 2023, which made her the undisputed featherweight champion. Serrano’s decisive win against Cruz followed her previous win over Sarah Mahfoud in Manchester, England that added the Dane’s IBF title to her WBO, WBC, and IBO featherweight belts. Most recently, Serrano took home a unanimous decision victory against her mandatory WBO challenger Danila Ramos, making history in the first-ever women’s unified world championship to be fought over 12, three-minute rounds, equal to any men’s championship fight, and marking the first time a women’s fight has gone the full 12×3. Serrano threw a career high 1,103 punches in the bout. In a true commitment to change for women’s boxing, Serrano recently vacated her WBC title, as the sanctioning body does not support women’s choice for 12×3. Serrano, whose natural weight is 126 pounds, now steps up to super lightweight to face Taylor for the second time, aiming to add the Irish fighter’s belts to her current featherweight hardware in what would be a championship in her eighth weight class.  

“I promised my fans they would see this rematch after we made history at MSG and it feels like a dream come true to know that Katie and I are finally making it happen on the biggest stage possible to show the world what elite women’s boxing is all about,” said Amanda Serrano. “While my focus continues to be on giving women the choice to fight with the same rules as men, I’ve always said that this is the one fight I’d go back to 10×2 for if that’s what Katie wanted. I’m coming for her belts, she wants 10×2, so that’s what we will do. I believe I won our first fight, but I didn’t get the decision, so this time I’m not leaving it to the judges. I am honored to share this iconic MVP card in the biggest stadium, on the biggest streaming platform in the world. Thank you Nakisa, Jake, Mike and Netflix for making this happen. And to all the young girls and women watching, I want you to know that anything is possible. Keep dreaming, keep working hard, and never let anyone tell you otherwise. It took me 15 years of blood, sweat and tears to get here, but it’s all worth it because I’m living my dreams.”

Taylor vs. Serrano 2 marks the latest in MVP’s series of significant women’s championship fights as the company works to establish equity across the sport. The event follows Amanda Serrano’s first-ever 12×3 unified championship fight vs. challenger Danila Ramos in October and the Paul vs. August special championship feature of MVP’s Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green vs. Franchón Crews-Dezurn for the WBC and WBA super middleweight world titles.

“When we announced Paul vs. Tyson, we stated that this would be the most-watched boxing event in modern boxing history and we’re here to deliver on a card worthy of that greatness,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor have proven they are two of the biggest names in the sport, male or female and their rematch is one of the biggest fights in boxing, so it’s only fitting for them to be a part of this massive global event. Anyone who witnessed their first battle knows the unforgettable atmosphere and performance Amanda and Katie bring when they step into the ring together,and this is sure to be a fight of the year contender again. Bringing attention to women’s boxing has always been a priority for MVP and we are thrilled to give the world’s most-anticipated women’s boxing fight ever a crowning moment on Netflix. Thank you to Matchroom and DAZN for working with MVP and Netflix to make this historic fight come to fruition.”

“Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are two of the best boxers in the world,” said Mike Tyson. “I know they can both put on an incredible show, and I’m thrilled to have them join this card. These remarkable athletes will undoubtedly elevate the event with their global appeal and fan bases. Adding one of the greatest fights in women’s boxing history to this unforgettable event is a true gift to fans. Saturday, July 20 can’t get here soon enough.”

Netflix is the premier home for great sports entertainment with hits like Emmy-nominated Untold that featured Jake Paul the Problem Child episode last year, along with Formula 1: Drive To SurviveFull SwingBeckham, NASCAR: Full SpeedQuarterbackTour de France: UnchainedUnder Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team and Six Nations: Full Contact. And beginning in 2025, Netflix will become the new home of WWE Raw. Paul vs. Tyson and Serrano vs. Taylor II will be Netflix’s third live sports event, following The Netflix Cup and The Netflix Slam

“Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano captivated  the sports world during their first fight two years ago, and fans have been clamoring to see them in the ring together again ever since,” said Gabe Spitzer, Vice President, Nonfiction Sports, Netflix. “We are thrilled to partner with MVP to bring this epic rematch to Netflix subscribers all over the world on Saturday, July 20th, in what will be an unforgettable night alongside Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson.”

Additional information, including the additional undercard bouts, will be announced at a later date. For the opportunity to sign up for presale tickets, click here.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About Netflix

Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services with over 260 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

About AT&T Stadium

AT&T Stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year-round. Outside the stadium, the Miller Lite® House is a branded destination that boasts a 70-yard Cowboys turf field featuring field games, four video boards and over 60 television screens, two fantasy football screen walls and over 87,000 outdoor square-footage for event day experiences. The space also features two beer gardens and a walk-in beer cooler. The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 92 works of art by 62 established and emerging artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue. In addition to being the home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Final Four, the 2015 inaugural College Football Playoff Championship Game, the 2015 50th Anniversary Academy of Country Music Awards show and WrestleMania 32 & 38. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches and other special events. For more information, go to attstadium.com.




NICOLSON: 12 x 3 ROUNDS FOR SERRANO? SIGN ME UP!

Skye Nicolson says she is open to facing Amanda Serrano over 12 three minute rounds if that gets the fight on – and the Australian is targeting a comprehensive win on Saturday night over Serrano’s old Sarah Mahfoud for the vacant WBC Featherweight belt at Bleaulive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Saturday night, live worldwide on DAZN to stake her claim for the mega showdown.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW VIA TICKETMASTER

Nicolson (9-0 1 KO) is fighting Mahfoud (14-1 3 KOs) for the WBC strap that Serrano vacated in December, a move Nicolson has previously stated was due to the seven-weight champion not wanting to face her, and not down to wanting to fight over the 12 three-minute round distance.

The Australian star has landed the World title fight she’s been craving, albeit against tough Dane Mahfoud instead of the Puerto Rican, with that duo previously meeting for undisputed in September 2022, with Serrano prevailing on points.

Although Nicolson has put the Serrano fight to one side to focus on the task at hand, the 28 year old can’t help that it’s a fight that she’s asked about all the time – and aims to deal with Mahfoud in better fashion than Serrano to prove she’s ready to take on the living legend.

“I can only fight who they put in front of me,” said Nicolson. “Serrano is the dream fight, and to have been boxing for undisputed in my tenth fight would have been legendary, but it didn’t happen. It is what it is, I’m not looking past Sarah. I’ve got a good opponent in front of me and it’s for the best belt in boxing in my opinion, so I am fully focused on the job in front of me and we’ll see what’s next after that.

I hope the Serrano fight happens, I am ready and waiting. I want the best; I feel like I am constantly saying it but it’s true. I wanted the Serrano fight in my eighth and ninth fights, I have Sarah for my tenth fight, so maybe it’s Serrano in my 11th fight, who knows? I want the belts, so I am going to keep pushing for that.

“12 x 3s suits my style. I’m a patient fighter, I love the longer rounds so for me it makes sense. For women’s boxing, I personally don’t agree with 12 x 3s; I think the depth of women’s boxing, 10 x 2s has been really good for the growth. It’s kept it exciting, and you’ve seen the women’s fights steal the show time and again and I think that’s down to the two-minute rounds. So, for me, I love three-minute rounds, but for women’s boxing, not so much – but if the only way to fight Serrano is over three minutes, sign me up.

“The Serrano fight for Sarah was 97-93, 97-93 and 99-92. That’s not happening, that’s all I will say. The way I am boxing right now, I don’t see the fight going the distance. If it does happen to go the distance, it’s 100-90.”

Nicolson’s clash with Mahfoud is part of a big night of action in Las Vegas, led by a double-header with two of America’s brightest stars as Richardson Hitchins takes on Gustavo Lemos in a final eliminator for the IBF World Jr. Welterweight title and Diego Pacheco defends his USWBC and WBO International Super-Middleweight titles against Shawn McCalman.

British Olympic gold medal man Galal Yafai defends his WBC International Flyweight title against Agustin Mauro Gauto. Marc Castro gets a first title bout in his 12th pro outing, taking on Abraham Montoya for the vacant WBC Continental Americas Super-Featherweight title, Harley Mederos is in action for the sixth time in the paid ranks over six rounds against Pedro Vicente and there’s a pro debut for former Team USA talent Steven Navarro over six rounds at Super-Flyweight against Jose Lopez.




MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS REVEALS FULL CARD FOR MOST VALUABLE PROSPECTS VI, FEATURING 10 FIGHTS WITH A TOTAL COMBINED RECORD OF 97-4-2 AND 59 KOS, AS PROSPECTS PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE ON FRIDAY, APRIL 26 IN ORLANDO, FL, PROMOTED BY BOXLAB PROMOTIONS AND AVAILABLE GLOBALLY ON DAZN

NEW YORK, NY – April 5, 2024 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced the full card for Most Valuable Prospects VI, the second installment of the Most Valuable Prospects 2024 series, taking place on Friday, April 26 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL available globally on DAZN subscription with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter. Most Valuable Prospects VI, presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, will feature thirteen undefeated rising stars and will feature ten fights total with a total combined record of 97-4-2 with 59 KOs. The event will be headlined by top-ranked super welterweight Yoenis Tellez (7-0, 6 KOs) vs. Joseph Jackson (19-0, 15 KOs) for the WBA Latin America Continental Championship. Cuban Olympian Danier Pero (6-0, 4 KOs) will make his second appearance on Most Valuable Prospects, appearing on the main card alongside co-main event Benigno Aguilar (11-0-1, 4 KOs) vs. Alexander Rios (8-1, 3 KOs) in their hotly-anticipated Most Valuable Prospects rematch, and Jan Paul Rivera (8-0, 5 KOs) vs. David Perez (9-0, 2 KOs). Across the preliminary rounds will be a series of top prospect faceoffs, including former USA Junior Olympics national champion David Garcia (5-0, 2 KOs) vs. fellow undefeated heavyweight Henry Richard (4-0, 3 KOs) and 15x US national amateur champion Natalie Dove (1-0) vs. Cleveland’s 3x Golden Gloves champion Alyssia Lopez as Lopez makes her professional debut. Amanda Serrano’s newest signee, the 3x US national champion and high fashion model Alexis Chaparro will also make his professional debut on the card. Tickets for Most Valuable Prospects VI are available now on Ticketmaster.com

Heavyweight Danier Pero (6-0, 4 KOs), the 24-year-old 6’5” Cuban talent, will return to Most Valuable Prospects following his decisive second-round KO win over Joe Jones at Most Valuable Prospects V in February 2024. The Olympian comes to the ring from Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Camaguey, Cuba. Pero will challenge a to-be-announced opponent in a 6-round heavyweight battle. With his formidable size, Pero will present a difficult challenge on Friday, April 26th, as the heavy-hitter seeks to continue his undefeated streak. Pero and his opponent will face off on the main card of Most Valuable Prospects VI alongside lightweights and local favorites Aguilar vs. Rios and featherweights Rivera vs. Perez ahead of the main event showdown between world-class super welterweight Yoenis Tellez vs. Joseph Jackson for the WBA Latin America Continental Championship.

In the preliminary rounds, MVP will host a series of star young prospects as they battle for victory on Friday, April 26th. Joining the foray of must-watch bouts will be Amanda Serrano’s newest signee, Alexis Chaparro, who will make his professional debut on the card in a four-round middleweight fight. The 23-year-old Chaparro, born in Puerto Rico and raised in Ridgewood, New York, is a three-time national boxing champion who competed at both the 2020 and 2024 USA Boxing Olympic trials. The gifted athlete is also a high fashion model, having worked for Versace, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, and Polo Ralph Lauren, among others. Chaparro joins Serrano’s growing roster of Puerto Rican talents including the young undefeated sensation Krystal Rosado (3-0, 1 KO) and WBO junior flyweight world champion Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez (28-3-1, 14 KOs).

Adding to the well-decorated and exciting array of undefeated top prospects on Friday, April 26th will be a 6-round heavyweight battle between 24-year-old David Garcia (5-0, 2 KOs) vs. Henry Richard (4-0, 3 KOs). Garcia, from Crescent City, FL is a 2016 Junior Olympics national champion, who will seek to hand Richard his first professional loss. Competing alongside them will be the highly-talented 22-year-old prospect Natalie Dove (1-0), the 15x US national amateur champion fighting out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dove will face off with Alyssia Lopez in an 4-round flyweight bout as the Cleveland native and 3x Golden Gloves champion Lopez makes her professional debut. Super featherweight DeMichael Harris (10-0-1, 9 KOs) will face a to-be-announced opponent in a 6-round fight as the Decatur, Georgia fighter looks to continue his undefeated streak after his three latest victories over opponents with winning records. Rounding out the card, the four-time US national champion and 20-year-old Texas native Xavier Bocanegra (3-0, 2 KOs) will face Carlos Andre Dos Santos Rocha (3-3, 2 KOs) of São Paulo, Brazil in a four-round featherweight fight, and Tampa, Florida’s Ariel Perez (2-0, 1 KO) will face Stephen Motley (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round light heavyweight bout. 

“Ahead of our groundbreaking marquee event in July featuring Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, we are thrilled to be returning to Orlando to present the most decorated Most Valuable Prospects card to date on Friday, April 26,” said MVP co-founders Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul. “The vast majority of the young stars on this card boast undefeated records, championship amateur backgrounds, or both, with a staggering 97-4-2 professional record between them with 59 KOs. This end-to-end roster of some of the best up-and-coming fighters in boxing will be a must-watch event for fans. We look forward to each of these incredible matchups, and are proud to feature Amanda Serrano’s newest signee, Alexis Chaparro, as he makes his pro debut on Most Valuable Prospects VI. Thank you to DAZN, CELSIUS, BoxLab Promotions, and Caribe Royale for their ongoing partnership and commitment with MVP to elevate and amplify boxing’s young stars.”

“Caribe Royale and Boxlab Promotions are pleased to once again partner with Most Valuable Promotions on high quality, championship boxing cards to Central Florida and the entire world via DAZN,” said Amaury Piedra, Managing Director of Caribe Royale Resort and President of Boxlab Promotions. “We continue to feature the hottest young fighters in the world on our shows and Prospects VI is no different. Tellez, Pero, and the entire card will allow fans to see the future of boxing in various weight classes. To see the continued development of these talented prospects as they advance their careers has been inspirational to everyone involved. We’re very excited for what we believe to be the best show yet and building momentum for the next event in July.”

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and marketed by MVP with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed globally by DAZN. The sixth event in the series will continue the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2024. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of Most Valuable Promotions and the Most Valuable Prospects series. 

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @DAZNBoxing.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to a ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando




WBA wishes a speedy recovery to Amanda Serrano

The bad news of the weekend was the cancellation of the featherweight world title fight between Amanda Serrano and Nina Meinke. An accident caused a chemical to enter Serrano’s eye and she was unable to step into the ring on Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

The champion was returning home after three years without fighting there and the country had turned into a party in the previous days, but this last minute situation prevented her from carrying out the expected home fight against the German. 

Serrano herself came out to the ring after the fight between Jake Paul and Ryan Bourland to give the bad news to the fans who filled the venue. Through tears, the 36-year-old champion explained that a product had fallen in her eye while she was being groomed a couple of days earlier and her vision was affected.

Serrano did her best to get into the ring, even in that condition, but the local commission made the most logical and correct decision in the face of her obvious incapacity. 

The pioneer body wishes Serrano a speedy recovery and hopes that she will soon be able to put on a great show in front of her people in Puerto Rico.




Serrano vs. Meinke Post Fight Press Conference Quotes

Jake Paul

On how he felt during the fight and his challengers

“Man I felt good. I felt really sharp, fast, locked in, but I was just getting warmed up really. I am kind of disappointed to be honest. I want more, I want a challenge and we had someone with 20 fights and I just keep on getting these guys out of there in the first round. I train so hard, it’s a little bit disappointing for the fans as well. I want someone to test me so I can make some adjustments and show off some of my new skills. I didn’t really get to show anything. I did feel good, I just wanted more and we will go back to the drawing board and see who’s next.”

On Amanda Serrano’s injury

“It just goes to show the type of woman and type of warrior that Amanda is that she still wanted to fight with an exposed cornea and the skin burnt off of her eye. The chemical was also burning her hands, you can see the skin on her hands melting. She’s so tough, it’s very sad. I wanted nothing more than to support her and see her fight as well, but yeah it’s just an unfortunate series of events but I believe that everything happens for a reason and the universe will unveil that reason soon enough. But we will see and I am very thankful for everyone who did show up and we will have to run it back I guess.”

On Javon “Wanna” Walton’s performance

“Look, it happens in this sport, it’s the toughest sport in the world. You go out there in front of 16,000 people, he’s 17-years-old, adrenal rush happens. You can think you’re prepared for that big moment and it can be pulled out from underneath you, but I thought it was an absolute fucking robbery. How is that a  draw? At least three rounds to one, so that to me is bizarre, but the kid is a warrior and I’ve proven a loss doesn’t define my career and the draw won’t define him as well. He has a great family supporting him and MVP’s behind him.”

On returning to Puerto Rico

“Yeah, we plan on coming back here. We have to. Amanda is going to want that. I loved fighting here. The crowd was amazing, it gave me goosebumps when they were all chanting “Gallo” and it means the world. They welcomed me and were turnt up for me so we have to come back here and put on another event.”

On Krystal Rosado’s performance

“Krystal was amazing. She’s got a bright, bright future. [She faced a] fast, and a very tough opponent, an undefeated opponent. I thought she did amazing and she looks good out there and she’s sharp and I think that getting that experience of getting tested a little bit is something every fighter needs so that’s great for her. Same with Bomba, he did an amazing job, and just happy he brought it home for Puerto Rico.”

On Ryan Garcia’s social media post of a challenge

In a continuation of Nakisa Bidarian remarks

“Except he’s doing it off some cocaine. That boy is getting that shit straight from Colombia or something, because that shit’s strong. Ryan, I love you, you know that bro, but you gotta chill out bro, because there’s a line and you just seem like you’re losing your mind, acting thirsty and desperate, and saying you’re a billionaire when you’ve had one money fight. I’m just saying just chill bro. If you do want to fight, that’s to me light work. You got no footwork and as long as you’ve been in the game, I’m a better boxer than you.”

On potentially fighting in New York City

“Look, I want to come to NY. I want to fight at MSG, I have to, it’s the mecca. It would be such an honor to fight there. We had something planned there and my opponent pulled out unfortunately, but I will be in New York City and will have an empire state of mind there.”

On potentially facing Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat

“I don’t know when it will happen, but I for sure want to go to India and he is the most viral fighter online and that speaks volumes. I would love to go to India and fight him and make that happen. We’ll just see when the timeline makes sense.”

On other potential challengers

“I am going to stay as active as possible and it’s about finding the right opponent. This is my life now and it’s a lifestyle and I’ll be back hopefully two more times before the end of the year. 

Anyone [from the UFC] who can get out of their contract,  I’ll fight. That’s easy work as far as I am concerned. I do want to do a PFL-MMA match, just has to be the right opponent but Nate did duck my $15 million offer so we’ll see who else is on the chopping block. Tony Ferguson? He said he wanted to fight?

I don’t want to see him go out like that, that would be said. He’s a great guy, we don’t want that for Tony.”

Nakisa Bidarian

On event success and refund of fans in attendance

“Thank you everybody for being here. Thank you for the support throughout this entire process. For MVP, Jake Paul, myself, and of course Amanda Serrano. We want to thank our brand partners throughout this event. Puerto Rico tourism company, the district, Puerto Rico Junte Boricua, Loteria de Puerto Rico, OnlyFans and of course, Celsius, which is our official energy drink partner.

Today’s event achieved a gate of $1.511 million, so one million, five-hundred and eleven thousand. Breaking the Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano gate record. Breaking the Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley in Cleveland gross sales as well as WWE Backlash that happened here last year, so I’d like to give a round of applause to Amanda, Nina and Jake for that achievement. With that said, Jake and I, and Amanda, have made the decision to refund 100% of the $1.511 million to the fan base, so one million, five-hundred and eleven thousand will be refunded to all fans in attendance who seek a refund. We appreciate the support. Everyone got a chance to see eight fights, and ultimately the main event was not meant to be.

On Amanda Serrano’s injury 

Amanda’s eye was irritated on Friday due to a hair product she used on Thursday evening. MVP was notified of this Friday afternoon. She had a private doctor visit her Friday night and they felt with the prescribed drops the irritation in the eye would subside and allow her to perform.

Amanda came to the arena with the intention to fight given her eye was starting to feel better. MVPs position was that she will be examined by the fight night Commission appointed physicians and they determine if she could compete.

Doctors determined her vision was impaired near the end of Wanna Walton’s bout and would not approve her to fight. We then had a responsibility to communicate to all impacted constituents involved in the event and determine how best to communicate it to the fans in attendance and those watching at home.

Listen, the island has been a big supporter of Amanda since we started working with her two and a half years ago. This is the time for the people of Puerto Rico to get behind Amanda Serrano and show how much they really care about her. She wanted nothing more than to come here and fight in front of her fans. Her heart is broken, her pride is broken, but she’s determined to come back here and have the last fight of her career, she has promised, will be in Puerto Rico. She is the one who drove the decision, first and foremost, to refund every single fan. Jake and I obviously, 100% supported it, but no one should feel that they got anything other than an unbelievable experience thanks to Amanda Serrano.”

On a potential return for Amanda Serrano

“Do we think it will be Meinke or another opponent? It will depend on how the next couple of years of the end of Amanda’s career progress. She still has a desire to fight Katie Taylor, of course she’s going to have a desire to fight Nina Meinke. I think it just depends  on the timing. What I do know for sure is that she wants to have the last fight of her career to be here. So we have to have the right opponent and if the fans want to see that fight, then we will try to make that fight, but it just really depends on how everything else goes over the next few months. First priority is getting her eye healed. 

I think before her career is done, she would like to do her final fight at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. So I don’t know if the next fight is her final fight, or if she fights somewhere else and does that last fight, or if she has three fights…TBD. Right now the focus is on her health.”

On Javon “Wanna” Walton’s performance

“It’s just a better story now right? It’s a lot sweeter when he comes back and shows everyone this is a win he should’ve gotten, to Jake’s point, he got robbed, all the same, he’s going to be focused on boxing for the rest of his career.”

On Ryan Garcia social media posts

“Ryan Garcia is basically playing the Jake Paul playbook. He’s learning everything that he does and says and acts from what Jake Paul has already done.”

On potentially facing Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat

“He literally had fans at the weigh-in, those weren’t fans that had anything to do with MVP, those were fans of Neeraj Goyat coming to support him at Jake Paul’s weigh-in.”

Closing remarks

“We want to thank all of you, the media of Puerto Rico, and the media that came from abroad, for covering this event, giving it the exposure that it deserves. Giving Jake the coverage that he deserves for the work that he’s doing on the island, for the support he’s showing Puerto Rican fighters, and obviously the love and support for Amanda Serrano. We are going to stick by her. We are going to come back here in a big way with her and we’re excited for her future to continue with MVP.”

Krystal Rosado 

On her win over Gloria Munguilla

“She came tough, that’s exactly what we trained for. We trained for whatever might be possible. It was a very nice experience and yeah, I really enjoyed it.”

On her fight length and if she prefers three minute rounds over two minute rounds

“Absolutely, we are going to keep on going with three minutes. Two minutes can go by very quickly. In three minutes, it gives you a chance to think and be a bit more strategic. If I had to choose, I’d stick with three minutes.”

Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez 

On returning to the ring after roughly 16 months 

“There was almost a year and three months out of the ring. I don’t want to take anything away from my opponent. There was a lot of clinching. I had been out with a lot of different problems and illnesses here and there but yeah, I just need to be more active.”

On Amanda Serrano injury

“It’s a very complicated subject. Amanda is a warrior. I know she is going to come back and I know very soon that MVP will set something up for her here in Puerto Rico and she will come back much stronger.”

On his plan going forward

“We are going to have to figure things out. I know a lot was said about my weight and a lot of questions about me making weight. I have to consult with my medical team and get with my team. There are a lot of opportunities out there,  I may move to 112 but its still uncertain and I still need to figure out what’s going to happen.”

Nina Meinke

On hearing about her fight being postponed

“Well I found out just before the fight. Absolutely gutted about it. Yeah, I prepared for so many weeks now, put in so much work. Obviously I am devastated but this is not the way we all wanted it to end, but we really wish for a speedy recovery so we can get this fight to happen. I hope it is just postponed and MVP will speak to my promoter and make another date for the fight. I think this is what the people want to see now, and I am ready, and I am ready whenever she is. 

On when she found out

I found out about an over before the fight. I was ready to fight and then, well, yeah, big disappointment. If I can say, for me, it’s very sad but all the way until this point, I really enjoyed the journey. I really enjoyed Puerto Rico. I love Puerto Rico.”

On her reaction to Amanda Serrano injury

“Yeah, of course. That’s why I am here. It didn’t happen so I want to go into the ring with Amanda and take the belt. This is what I am here for and it didn’t work out this time the way we wanted it to. I hope there will be another date and I hope that we can fix this as soon as she feels better and everything is okay. I hope that she’s okay.”

On what she would say to Amanda

“I would tell her, I’m waiting for you. I haven’t talked to her yet, we only had a quick meeting inside the ring and I am here, I am waiting for you.”

On her experience and Puerto Rico

“The people have been so nice, the warmth of the people here is unreal, the atmosphere was amazing. It’s a shame we couldn’t fight in front of this crowd because everything felt right. I hope the match will be in Puerto Rico because I think the people deserve that and they all came out to support us. It would be a shame if it wasn’t, just for the people as well, because it’s been lovely to be here, and I hope to come back.”




Serrano is ready to fight at home against Meinke 

After almost three years the featherweight champion, Amanda Serrano, will fight again in Puerto Rico. This Saturday she will defend her World Boxing Association (WBA) belt, in addition to the IBF and WBO versions against Nina Meinke at the Miguel Argrelot Coliseum, in San Juan, in the main event.

The home fighter will make a new exhibition in her country, where she last fought against Daniela Bermudez in March 2021. Most of Serrano’s career has taken place in the United States, where she has left her flag high and has written her history as one of the best of all time.

Now she will return home for a 12-round, 3-minute bout, her second in a row, with the likes of Jake Paul joining her on the card. Serrano will take part in the main event and will try to keep her winning streak, which now stands at four wins with her last loss coming in 2022 against Katie Taylor in a lightweight fight.

Meinke comes as a visitor and has been preparing in the Dominican Republic to get used to the Caribbean climate. The 30-year-old German comes in with six straight wins and with the intention of hurting the local’s party, a tough challenge but one for which she is fully motivated and confident.

Other young prospects like Krystal Rosado or the young Javon Walton will be in action in this great event that promises to be a full house in San Juan. Serrano has a record of 46 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw and 30 knockouts, while Meinke has 18 wins, 3 losses and 4 knockouts.Serrano to fight at home vs. Meinke.




INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR JAKE PAUL TO FACE 17-2 PROFESSIONAL BOXER RYAN BOURLAND IN THE CO-MAIN EVENT FOR MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS’ SERRANO VS. MEINKE ON SATURDAY, MARCH 2, FROM PUERTO RICO, LIVE ON DAZN

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – January 30, 2024 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced international superstar Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (8-1, 5 KOs) will face professional boxer Ryan “The Rhino” Bourland (17-2, 6 KOs) on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at the legendary Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico as Paul continues to face more experienced opponents on the path to becoming a world champion. Paul vs. Bourland, an 8-round cruiserweight fight, will be the co-main event alongside Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) vs. Nina Meinke (18-3, 4 KOs), presented by CELSIUS Live Fit. Essential Energy, which marks Amanda Serrano’s first fight in Puerto Rico since becoming the island’s first undisputed world boxing champion, male or female. Bourland, Paul’s toughest match to date, brings years of experience and success to the ring against Paul in his 20th professional bout with more wins and knockouts than any of Paul’s previous opponents. Serrano vs. Meinke, featuring Paul vs. Bourland, will be offered as part of the DAZN subscription package to ensure it is affordable and accessible to fans worldwide, with Jake Paul also set to donate his full fight purse to his nonprofit, Boxing Bullies, to renovate youth boxing gyms across Puerto Rico. Tickets are now on sale at Ticketera.com.

Paul vs. Bourland will mark Paul’s first entrance into the ring this year following his most impressive performance to date on Friday, December 15, in which he secured a viral, first round knockout of three-time Golden Glove winner Andre August for his ninth professional win. Paul showed tremendous growth as a boxer on his path to becoming a world champion and added another highlight to his already impressive reel. Since turning pro in 2020, Paul has collected multiple accolades for his commitment to the sport of boxing, including ESPNRingside’s 2021 Knockout of the Year, Sports Illustrated’s 2021 Breakout Boxer of the Year, ESPNRingside’s 2022 Viral Moment of the Year, and was the cover of Sports Illustrated’s “The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports” issue, awarded specifically for his groundbreaking work to revolutionize the sport through equitable pay, providing a platform for young fighters, and his support of female boxers. Paul also recently announced a partnership with USA Boxing ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, continuing his mission to elevate the sport and its future champions.

Paul also continued his record-breaking streak in his latest fight by achieving the highest recorded gate for a boxing event in Orlando’s history. Paul vs. August also broke the record for highest average ticket price, matching the average ticket price of Paul’s latest fight vs. Nate Diaz at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The upcoming Serrano vs. Meinke and Paul vs. Bourland event is expected to be yet another record-shattering night for Paul, Serrano, and Most Valuable Promotions.

“I’ve always said my goal is to become a world champion. I beat a pro boxer in December in the first round, someone who’s been boxing their entire life, and what did I do next? I went straight back to camp to get ready to face my next opponent, a professional boxer who has twice as many professional fights under his belt than I do,” said Jake Paul. “It’s a new year, it’s an even better me, and I’m facing an even more experienced, seasoned boxer on Saturday, March 2 as co-main to the Puerto Rican GOAT, Amanda Serrano. I’m fighting for experience, not for the money, and to show my love for this beautiful island I’ll be donating my entire fight purse from this event to my nonprofit Boxing Bullies to help renovate gyms across Puerto Rico.”

Ryan “Rhino” Bourland, born June 17, 1988 has a professional boxing record of 17-2-0 (6 KO). He grew up in Vallejo, California where he started learning how to box in the sixth grade. Ryan had over 15 amateur bouts, was a Golden Gloves Champion and fought in the National Junior Olympics. Ryan’s professional boxing record began at age 25. Ryan was recognized as Northern California’s Fighter of the year by Inside The Ropes Boxing in 2016. In 2018 Ryan won the regional light heavyweight GBO title in his fight against Jose Hernandez II. Throughout Ryan’s career he has always given back to the community by coaching boxing to local youth and adults. Ryan was featured sparring in the movie “Pride Jewel” (2022). Bourland comes to the ring vs. Paul off a three-fight winning streak, including his latest bout against Santario Martin, which Bourland ended with a decisive fifth round knockout. Martin previously went the distance with Paul’s last opponent, Andre August. At 17-2 with six KO’s, Bourland has proven his tenacity and skill in the ring. With just two losses in his professional career, Bourland is a determined and steady fighter and is Paul’s toughest opponent to date. 

“Jake Paul steps into the ring with his social media clout, but let’s not mistake followers for experience or skill,” said Ryan Bourland. “While he’s been busy chasing likes, I’ve been honing my craft for years, stepping into the ring and beating real boxers. On Saturday, March 2 I will shock the world and put an end to Jake Paul’s boxing career.”

“Jake Paul has broken record after record and in this fight, he’s once again showing what a tremendous person he is as well,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP. “Not only is Jake taking on yet another more experienced professional boxer in Ryan Bourland, but he’s also supporting Amanda Serrano as she headlines this historic event at the legendary Coliseo de Puerto Rico, demonstrating his and MVP’s commitment to equality in the sport. I applaud Jake’s continued commitment to giving back to the youth after he announced he is donating his entire purse from this fight to Boxing Bullies so the organization can continue their mission of renovating boxing gyms to give boys and girls a positive environment to learn. The world continues to watch Jake, and he continues to deliver. Thank you to DAZN for working with us to make this event available to fans around the world and to Celsius for their continued support and partnership. Serrano vs. Meinke featuring Paul vs. Bourland is going to be historic and we can’t wait to bring this amazing card to Puerto Rico.”

Also featured on the Serrano vs. Meinke and Paul vs. Bourland card on Saturday, March 2 will be Javon “Wanna” Walton, who will make his highly-anticipated global debut as MVP’s latest signee, WBO junior flyweight world champion Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez (27-3-1, 14 KOs) vs. fellow Puerto Rican talent Rene Santiago (12-3, 9 KOs), and finally in a battle of Puerto Rico vs. Mexico, the young, super flyweight sensation Kystal Roado (2-0, 1 KO)is set to face 5-0 Gloria Munguilla in the toughest test yet of her career. Rosado’s fight will be 4 x 3:00, following Amanda’s lead of fighting 3 minute rounds. The event marks Amanda Serrano’s first fight in Puerto Rico since becoming undisputed champion, with a sellout crowd expected to honor her as Puerto Rico’s first-ever undisputed world boxing champion, male or female. Serrano will fight for the second time at 12×3, the men’s championship standard, in defense of her unified IBF, WBO, WBA, IBO, and Ring Magazine featherweight world titles. In a true commitment to change for women’s boxing, Serrano recently vacated her WBC title, as the sanctioning body does not support women’s choice for 12×3.

Serrano vs. Meinke is MVP’s latest women’s championship fight as the company works to establish equity across the sport. The bout follows Amanda Serrano’s first-ever 12×3 unified championship fight in October and the Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green vs. Franchón Crews-Dezurn WBC super middleweight and WBA Interim world title bout in December. 

Serrano vs. Meinke will air live globally on DAZN. Spartan Boxing INC. will serve as the official licensed promoter of Serrano vs. Meinke. This event is sponsored by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy. For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @rhino707, @MostValuablePromotions, and @DAZNBoxing.

How to watch DAZN 

  • Visit DAZN.com and follow the steps to sign up now
  • Once signed up, download the DAZN app to watch on any device
  • Go to the app store on your chosen device, search ‘DAZN’ and download the DAZN app  
  • DAZN is available on your phone, tablet, smart TV, streaming devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and gaming consoles. 
  • Connect multiple devices to your account to watch at home or on the go  

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

?

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to a ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??




Serrano vs. Meinke | Jake Paul Press Conference Quotes

Amanda Serrano

On what to expect from Nina Meinke in the ring

“I’m expecting what every female fighter comes to do. That’s to fight. [Nina] has an opportunity to win all my belts, to show the world that she’s capable of beating Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano. I know she’s a tough, durable fighter and a very talented and skilled fighter, but I believe it’s going to be a great fight between both of us. Both of us really want this and we’re gonna prove to the world that there’s no backing down.”

On fighting at home in Puerto Rico

“Pinch me. It’s so surreal looking around and to be back at home as the Main Event. I am super honored. Thank you so much to MVP for putting on an amazing show and for putting me as the main event with Jake Paul as co-main event. He’s such a gentleman that he said, “this is your Island,” so he’s given me the opportunity and I’m super excited to be here, to have an amazing opponent, to come out and showcase women’s boxing once again. I can’t wait for Saturday, March 2nd. It’s going to be a beautiful night here in Puerto Rico.”

On giving up the WBC featherweight belt

“That definitely wasn’t a very easy decision for me. You know I worked so hard for all these belts, all these titles. And so to give up something that you really love and work hard for… It hurts. But if you believe in something you have to take a stand. I believe that women need equality. The first step was performing and succeeding and doing the 12-three minute rounds. And I think I just needed to do what I had to do. All these other organizations are supporting me 100%. So I believe in it and I took the stand and hopefully the WBC will come around one day.”

On Jake insisting Amanda be Main Event

“I’m used to performing, going out and sitting and watching Jake perform. Now it’s the opposite… I don’t mind being co-main event, and he said there’s no way in the world that he was going to be the main event. This is my Island. So I’m truly thankful for this opportunity. But it’s going to be kind of weird because it’s not only Jake that’s fighting, I have Krystal, Bomba, and Wanna and I have to watch all those fights before my fight. So, I’m gonna be a nervous wreck in the locker room, but I’m gonna be ready to go out there and perform.’

Jake Paul

On fighting in Puerto Rico

“It’s surreal. All the people here are so nice, and lovely. Meeting Amanda Serrano changed my life, and it’s an honor to support her in this big moment in front of her hometown, her home crowd. And it’s just an honor to be part of this amazing event – which, hopefully, should be the biggest event in Puerto Rican boxing history. It’s going to be a night to remember. I’m super happy, and grateful, even for all the people who came out here today, and showing support.”

On being co-main to Amanda’s main event

“She’s the queen of the island, and I’m just the supporting character on March 2nd. This is her night to create history and put on a show, and I’m just happy to be along for the ride. I think most people are going to be rooting for Amanda Serrano, so she’s the main event, and I’m happy to support and be a part of that. That’s what I wanted, and to just take a backseat.”

On his Saturday, March 2 opponent

“He didn’t want to come today, because he said he just wanted to train – which I respect. He didn’t want to fly all the way here, he’s focused in the gym. But, he’s a professional boxer with an even better record than Andre August, and there will be an announcement coming soon. It’s another step up in competition, he’s won regional titles, etc. It’s another step up in competition and continuing to challenge myself on March 2nd.”

On Neeraj Goyat

“Neeraj has made some noise. His callout video got 25M views. He’s India’s biggest and best boxer. So, it is interesting to me. It could be fun to go over to India, and knock him out in his home country. Maybe one day, but we’ll see.”

On his work with Boxing Bullies & donating his entire fight purse to Boxing Bullies

“Boxing helped save my life and put it on a good track and give me confidence. And I feel the need to share that with as many kids as possible. Because I believe if it helped me, it could help anyone out there. So that’s why I started Boxing Bullies, to grow the sport within the youth and get as many boxing gloves into as many kids hands as possible, and, to renovate gyms. We’ve renovated a gym in La Perla here, a gym in Dorado, and the mission keeps on getting bigger. We’re going to continue to renovate more gyms – I’m actually going to be donating my entire fight purse to Boxing Bullies, to renovate more gyms in Puerto Rico.”

“It’s the least I can do. Boxing Bullies has helped so many people already, and I want to continue the mission. One of the gyms is going to be an Amanda Serrano gym. So, I’m pretty excited about that and just continuing to grow the mission.”

Nakisa Bidarian

On arranging the Saturday, March 2 Serrano vs. Meinke fight in PR

“When we started working with Amanda a little over two years ago, it’s interesting that her first co-main event with us was her going to Jake’s hometown in Cleveland. He debuted in Cleveland against Tyrone Woodley, and Amanda Serrano was the co-main. So we talked to Amanda about giving her the proper homecoming that she deserves, given she is one of the greatest boxers of all time. It was always about coming to the Coliseo the right way, and giving her the platform to show the world how this island supports its biggest stars – male or female.”

On Jake’s opponent for Saturday, March 2

“We plan to announce on January 30. As you can imagine, matching Jake Paul is not an easy task. Because, never in the history of boxing has someone’s career in such an early stage been scrutinized in the way his has. In his 9th fight, he fought a gentleman who was 10-1. A 10-1 boxer. Oscar de la Hoya, who is one of the greatest boxers in history, who had many amazing moments in boxing – in his 10th fight, he fought a guy who was 10-4-3.  The legend of Puerto Rico, Tito, Felix Trinidad, in his 10th fight, fought someone that was 10-4. They are unbelievable champions, and I think Jake aspires to be the same. But given the amount of attention that his fights get globally, we have to continuously find the right opponents that put him in a position that other fighters haven’t been through in this stage of his career.”

On Jake Paul donating his entire fight purse to Boxing Bullies

“He’s donating his entire purse to renovate gyms in Puerto Rico. A lot of people do a lot of good things, but this young man turned 27 yesterday, he was filming with Amanda all day long, and he said to me last night, ‘I want to donate my entire purse and do more for the youth on this island to experience boxing the right way.’ So, thank you, Jake.”

On Jake Paul’s fight schedule in 2024

“Our current plans are for him to fight in March. If he’s victorious, the plan is for him to fight in June or July again.”

Nina Meinke

On getting the opportunity to fight Amanda Serrano

“It was great, it was absolutely amazing. As soon as we got the information that we’re going to fight Amanda Serrano, I was right back in the gym preparing for it. It’s great to be here.” 

On fighting before an Amanda-supporting crowd

“This is boxing, and it’s all about the atmosphere, and it motivates me a lot, so I can’t wait for a full Coliseo, which I think is going to be sold out. I’m really looking forward to it.”

On the atmosphere in Puerto Rico

“I have to say, I’ve noticed it already: everyone is super friendly, and seriously this is what we need in boxing. It’s the support you get, even though we’re opponents. They just appreciate us as boxers, so I’m really happy.”

On fighting 12×3 and how she’s training for it.

“Well first of all, much respect for Amanda that she started all the equality in boxing. This is what we need. It’s not just talk — it’s doing it. I’m very proud to be part of it now, and for me it was no question not to do it. It doesn’t really change a lot for me, because I train with men anyway and we train three-minute rounds. The training is obviously more intense now, but still, I’m used to three-minute rounds. Like I said, I’m really proud to be part of this movement for women’s boxing.”

On how she can beat Amanda Serrano

“Well of course [Amanda is] a very strong boxer and I really respect her. But I’m also a very skilled fighter. I had a long amateur career and fought over 70 fights, so I’m also an experienced boxer. This is going to be a great fight. We will show the world that women’s boxing is very good and strong.”

Giving a gift to Amanda

“I’m so happy to be here. Thanks to MVP and my promoter and my team. We’ve got a little present for Amanda, which I’d like to give to her. [Shows gift] This is the Berlin Bear. It’s a symbol of our city, and I’d like to give it to you.”

Bomba Gonzalez

On fighting at home and on the Serrano vs. Meinke Card

First think, thank God. I’m happy to be on this big card on March 2. It’s a big opportunity to do my third defense in Puerto Rico. It’s been 7 years, and I have not fought in Puerto Rico. What’s bigger than the Choliseo? Over 19,000 people. I’m happy. I’m going to be ready.

On his upcoming fight vs. Rene Santiago on Saturday, March 2

Rene Santiago is a good boxer. I know he’s coming ready. This is his first chance and opportunity. I’m waiting for the best from Santiago. Same as me, I’m working hard with Amanda and Jordan and my father. We’re going to be 100%. I’m not struggling to make weight – I’m going to make that clear. I’m going to make weight March 1, and I’m going to become super champion at 108 pounds. 

On signing with Amanda Serrano

It’s big- this is the first time I have a manager, and they’re doing well. I feel happy, and I feel that my career is going in a good [direction]. I’m so happy, man, and just looking forward to what’s next. Krystal Rosado

On fighting at home in Puerto Rico

“I am very excited to be here in my hometown and home island of Puerto Rico with my people, with their support, which I know I have.”

On Fighting 3 min rounds

Just like Amanda Serrano has done, [placing] women’s boxing next to men’s boxing, I believe that it is important to keep that tradition up, to show that we are just as worthy and valuable in this sport as men are. 

On if she’s nervous to fight before a crowd of 19,000 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico

More than anxious, I’m very enthusiastic to show what I can do in front of my people, but my training keeps me from feeling the nervousness that typically people might feel. But the bottom line is: I’m not nervous. I’m enthusiastic.




WORLD CHAMPION AMANDA “THE REAL DEAL” SERRANO TO MAKE LONG-AWAITED RETURN TO PUERTO RICO WITH INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR JAKE “THE PROBLEM CHILD” PAUL AS CO-MAIN AT LEGENDARY COLISEO DE PUERTO RICO ON SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2024

NEW YORK, NY – December 21, 2023 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) will make her long-awaited return to Puerto Rico vs. IBF mandatory challenger Nina Meinke (18-3, 4 KOs) on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at the legendary Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico, live globally on DAZN. This event, sponsored by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, marks Amanda Serrano’s first fight in Puerto Rico since becoming undisputed champion, with a sellout crowd expected to honor her as Puerto Rico’s first-ever undisputed world boxing champion, male or female. Serrano will fight for the second time at 12×3, the men’s championship standard, in defense of her unified IBF, WBO, WBA, IBO, and Ring Magazine featherweight world titles. In a true commitment to change for women’s boxing, Serrano recently vacated her WBC title, as the sanctioning body does not support women’s choice for 12×3. 

Co-headlining alongside Serrano will be international superstar Jake “The Problem Child” Paul (8-1, 5 KOs) who will continue his path towards becoming cruiserweight world champion in his 10th professional fight fresh off his first-round KO of professional boxer Andre August. Making his highly-anticipated global debut on the Saturday, March 2 card will be MVP’s latest signee, multi-talented featherweight boxer, actor, and model Javon “Wanna” Walton. Also competing on Serrano vs. Meinke will be Serrano’s first two signed Puerto Rican fighters, WBO junior flyweight world champion Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez (27-3-1, 14 KOs), who will make his third defense of his title, and the young super flyweight sensation Krystal Rosado (2-0, 1 KO). Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, December 27th at 9:00am ET on Ticketera.com. There will be a kickoff press conference on Thursday,  January 18th in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico as part of the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián. The press conference will feature all of the star athletes from the event.

Amanda Serrano, the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion, started her current featherweight title reign by defeating Heather Hardy in a brutal 10-round fight in 2019 to win the WBO belt, and has since defended her WBO belt six times. Serrano offered Hardy redemption in August 2023, but successfully defended her undisputed featherweight world champion title for the first time in a decisive 10 round unanimous decision victory. Serrano also won a blood-soaked war against WBA featherweight champion Erika Cruz in February 2023, which made her the undisputed featherweight champion. Serrano’s decisive win against Cruz followed her previous win over Sarah Mahfoud in Manchester, England that added the Dane’s IBF title to her WBO, WBC, and IBO featherweight belts. Her historic clash against Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden in 2022 earned recognition as Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year and was further nominated for Event of the Year by Sports Business Journal. Most recently, Serrano took home a unanimous decision victory against her mandatory WBO challenger Danila Ramos, making history in the first-ever women’s unified world championship to be fought over 12, three-minute rounds, equal to any men’s championship fight, and marking the first time a women’s fight has gone the full 12×3. Serrano threw a career high of 1103 punches in the bout.

“It is absolutely a dream come true to fight and headline at home at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, and it is my biggest honor to have been the first-ever undisputed champion, male or female, from our beautiful island,” said Amanda Serrano. “I’m excited to prove my greatness and make history again in the ring at the Choliseo over 12, three-minute rounds. Thank you to the IBF, WBO, WBA, IBO, and Ring Magazine, Most Valuable Promotions, and my team for making this possible. A special thank you to Jake Paul, who gave me an opportunity to fight as his co-main many times and allowed me to show my skills to the world. I am honored to have Jake as my co-main for the first time.”

Nina “The Brave” Meinke, the Berlin, Germany native, comes to the ring ready to rise to the challenge Serrano presents and make history as the second-ever women’s unified championship fight set for 12 rounds with three minute rounds. The IBF mandatory featherweight challenger has garnered recognition throughout Europe following a series of interim title fights, most recently claiming the WBA Gold World Featherweight title against Japan’s Kimika Miyoshi in June 2023 and the IBF Inter-Continental Featherweight title against Laura Ledezma in October 2023. 

“My team and I have wanted this fight for a long time,” said Nina Meinke. “Finally we got it and I am happy, well trained and motivated to be the first female boxer from Germany to go the 12 round distance. Amanda Serrano is an outstanding person who has already made such a big change to women’s boxing and the fight for equal rights, so I am more than proud to be a part of that movement. Of course I am going to support it with all my heart and show the world women are just as capable in going 12 rounds at 3 minutes. I will be the best version of myself on this day and I am ready to make it a great fight! And new!” 

Jake Paul makes his triumphant return to the ring on Saturday, March 2nd following his first round KO obliteration of Andre August on December 15th, a jaw dropping right uppercut sure to be a KO of the year contender. Paul’s co-main appearance on Serrano vs. Meinke will continue to showcase Paul’s ongoing journey to become a world champion. Facing his first loss at the hands of Tommy Fury in February by a contentious split decision, Paul found himself back on top in August, defeating Nate Diaz by unanimous decision, before his first-round finish against August. In just three years since turning pro, Paul has collected multiple accolades, including ESPNRingside’s 2021 Knockout of The Year, Sports Illustrated’s 2021 Breakout Boxer of the Year, and ESPNRingside’s 2022 Viral Moment of the Year. Paul also earned distinction on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s August 2023 issue, “The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports,” for his success in the ring, his groundbreaking work to revolutionize pay equality in boxing, and his support of female fighters and boxing prospects through Most Valuable Promotions alongside co-founder Nakisa Bidarian. 

Fighting for the first time at home in Puerto Rico alongside one of the greatest fighters ever, Amanda Serrano, promises to be the event of a lifetime,” said Jake Paul. “I’m honored to be the co-main event on Amanda’s homecoming card, and I could not be more excited to bring this historic event to Puerto Rico as I continue my path to becoming a world champion. Our latest MVP signee, Wanna Walton, is making his global debut on this card, Bomba Gonzalez and Krystal Rosado are continuing their rise to stardom, and the whole island of Puerto Rico will finally get a chance to properly celebrate the greatness of Amanda Serrano. She is going to sell more tickets in one event than Katie Taylor did in two in Dublin. This is going to be the biggest night of boxing the Choliseo has ever seen and the world will be watching.” 

17-year-old Wanna Walton signed with MVP in July 2023, and has since remained an amateur boxer in development. As the youngest-ever athlete to sign with Nike’s Jordan Brand, Walton has continued to excel as a boxer and now will make his global debut in MVP’s first marquee event of 2024. Walton began boxing at the age of four, and at age eight became one of America’s youngest amateur prospects. His skill and hard work earned him the title of multi-time Junior Regional Champion and two-time Junior Olympic national silver medalist. The Atlanta native is also a world-renowned actor who captured international attention with his debut role as the beloved drug dealer “Ashtray” in the HBO Max Emmy-winning series Euphoria starring alongside Hollywood icons Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, and has since continued to co-star in numerous other film and TV titles. He trains under his father and coach, DJ Walton.

“I’ve been training most of my life for this moment, and it is an honor to make my global debut beside my fellow MVP athletes Amanda Serrano and Jake Paul,” said Wanna Walton. “Nakisa and the whole MVP team have become like a second family to me, and they are incredible mentors who truly believe in my talent. I’m ready to prove them right in the ring on Saturday, March 2 and start my path to greatness and I couldn’t be more excited to do it in Puerto Rico.”

Also starring on the Saturday, March 2 Serrano vs. Meinke card will be two other local Puerto Rican athletes. Amanda Serrano’s first signed fighters, WBO junior flyweight champion Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez and young sensation Krystal Rosado, will each feature on the main card of Serrano vs. Meinke. The 32-year-old Gonzalez made his professional debut in 2011 following an impressive amateur career in which he collected gold medals at both the 2008 Youth World Championships and the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games at flyweight. Bomba Gonzalez won his first title in just his ninth fight as a professional, and has gone on to hold the WBO junior flyweight title since 2021. Rosado, the young 21-year-old sensation, made her MVP and professional debut at MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects II show in August 2023, stunning fans with a ferocious second-round KO against Tarrethia Dixon. Rosado went on to compete on MVP’s historic Serrano vs. Ramos card in October 2023, earning her decisive second win over Hungary’s Kata Pap.

“First, I want to thank God for this big opportunity. I want to thank my managers, Amanda Serrano and Jordan Maldonado, MVP, and the WBO for giving me this opportunity to defend my title on my island of Puerto Rico,” said Bomba Gonzalez. “This is big. Fighting on this card with Amanda Serrano is going to be a highlight of my career and hopefully, I can continue fighting at home in Puerto Rico.”

“I’m happy and honored to get this opportunity to fight again on the undercard with my manager and PR boxing queen Amanda Serrano,” said Krystal Rosado. “Also being on a card with Jake Paul is incredible, and if that wasn’t enough, it’s in the Choliseo where even most of the greats from my island haven’t fought in. I’m also proud to be on the same card alongside my managerial teammate Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez who will defend his title in a tough fight. This card is one that I wouldn’t have missed if I wasn’t on it. Thank you God, Amanda, and MVP for making this humble up-and-comer’s dream come true. To all my fans, I won’t disappoint!”

“It is an honor for Jake and I to work with Amanda on her historic return to Puerto Rico. While she fought in San Juan during the pandemic, this event on Saturday, March 2nd will be her true homecoming. A massive event for a massive Puerto Rican icon,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “The magnitude of this event is such that Jake Paul demanded he be the co-main to Amanda for the first time, which reflects the starpower and legacy of Amanda Serrano in boxing and in Puerto Rico. We are also thrilled to bring Wanna Walton to the stage for his MVP global debut, and are certain he’s going to put on an incredible show and prove that he is one of the most talented future superstars of this sport. With Bomba and Krystal on this card, too, we’ll be featuring some of the most exciting talent from start to finish on this unforgettable night of boxing from San Juan to the world. This will undoubtedly be the most viewed Puerto Rican boxing event in history.”

“We are thrilled to be broadcasting this unmissable double-header on DAZN in March 2024,” said Alfie SharmanVP DAZN. “Amanda Serrano and Jake Paul are two of the biggest names in boxing, and to have them join our already stacked new year schedule once again highlights DAZN as the global home of boxing. Watch these excellent matchups exclusively live only on DAZN.”

Serrano vs. Meinke marks the latest in MVP’s series of significant women’s championship fights as the company works to establish equity across the sport. The event follows Amanda Serrano’s first-ever 12×3 unified championship fight vs. challenger Danila Ramos in October and the Paul vs. August special championship feature of MVP’s Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green vs. Franchón Crews-Dezurn for the WBC and WBA super middleweight world titles. Spartan Boxing INC. will serve as the official licensed promoter of Serrano vs. Meinke. 

For more information, follow on Twitter via @Serranosisters, @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @serranosisters, @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, and @DAZNBoxing.

How to watch DAZN 

  • Visit DAZN.com and follow the steps to sign up now
  • Once signed up, download the DAZN app to watch on any device
  • Go to the app store on your chosen device, search ‘DAZN’ and download the DAZN app  
  • DAZN is available on your phone, tablet, smart TV, streaming devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and gaming consoles. 
  • Connect multiple devices to your account to watch at home or on the go  

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

?

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to a ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??




MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS AND DAZN RENEW “MOST VALUABLE PROSPECTS” SERIES FOR SIX EVENTS IN 2024

NEW YORK – October 19, 2023 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and DAZN today announced the renewal of the Most Valuable Prospects boxing showcase series which highlights the world’s best up-and-coming talent. Following the series’ success in 2023, MVP will expand the series from four events to six in 2024 and has renewed its distribution partnership with DAZN. Offering fans an array of exciting fights with some of the hottest prospects in boxing, the six-event Most Valuable Prospects series will begin in early 2024 and will be available globally on DAZN. Caribe Royale Orlando and BoxLab Promotions will also continue their partnership with MVP into 2024. The inaugural chapter of Most Valuable Prospects will culminate with two final events in 2023 and is next set to return on Friday, October 27th.

MVP and DAZN’s partnership extension comes on the heels of a sold-out Most Valuable Prospects II and ahead of the record-setting upcoming Most Valuable Prospects III, which precedes the historic 12-round, three-minute rounds unified featherweight title bout between undisputed featherweight champion Amanda Serrano and WBO challenger Danila Ramos the same night. Taking place on Friday, October 27th in Orlando, Florida, Serrano vs. Ramos and Most Valuable Prospects III has already become the highest grossing combat sports gate in host Caribe Royale Resort’s 25-event history. Tickets are on sale now on Ticketmaster.com

Following MVP’s October event, Most Valuable Prospects is set to return to Caribe Royale Orlando for a fourth and final 2023 installment, available globally on DAZN. The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and promoted by MVP, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter for these events and throughout 2024. Caribe Royale Orlando will return as host for multiple events next year.

“Following the incredible ongoing success of our 2023 series, we could not be more excited to renew Most Valuable Prospects for 2024 alongside our dedicated distribution partner DAZN to bring more events and more exhilarating matchups to fans around the world,” said MVP Co-Founders Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul. “Boxing is going through a transformational period and we want to spearhead the change that drives value to fighters first. We look forward to an exceptional 2024 with ten events already in place and an expansion of the MVP roster.”

“After an exciting year of partnership between MVP and DAZN, we look forward to another year of showcasing more Most Valuable Prospects fight nights. DAZN and MVP have had great success thus far and extending this partnership only makes sense to continue putting together even more thrilling fights for boxing fans,” shared Joe Markowski, CEO of DAZN North America. ”Jake Paul and MVP have an incredible impact in growing the sport of boxing and we can’t wait to take part in this impact further.”

“Caribe Royale is proud to continue our relationship with MVP and DAZN after a successful launch of the Most Valuable Prospects Series in 2023,” said Amaury Piedra, Managing Director of Caribe Royale Resort and President of Boxlab Promotions. “Our goal as the premier 4 Diamond all-suite hotel in Florida is to continue to bring live events and entertainment to the Central Florida area. Both our guests and local residents alike will have an opportunity to see the best of boxing’s future champions as they develop their careers. Both Caribe and Boxlab Promotions, along with the wonderful team at MVP, will continue to revolutionize the boxing landscape in 2024 as we take the series to new levels.”

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and promoted by MVP, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter. The series continues the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent, as well as the addition of special feature matchups to bring outsized viewership to the young talent. All 2023 Most Valuable Prospects events will take place on Friday nights and will be hosted by Caribe Royale Orlando. DAZN will air the series across its platforms as a part of its subscription package which will include the entire main card lineup and prelims. CELSIUS Essential Energy Drinks, maker of lifestyle energy drink, serves as the exclusive energy drink sponsor of the Most Valuable Prospects 2023 series.

For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, and @DAZNBoxing.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

?

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to a ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??




MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF TWO BOUTS TO SERRANO VS. RAMOS CARD ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27 LIVE ON DAZN

NEW YORK, NY – October 3, 2023 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced that #2-ranked WBA bantamweight Antonio Vargas (16-1, 9 KOs) will face off with veteran contender Hernan Marquez (47-10-2, 33 KOs) for the WBA Continental Americas bantamweight title in the headlining preliminary bout of MVP’s third installment of its Most Valuable Prospects series. The 10-round bout will take place on Friday, October 27 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. On the main card will be a 6-round bout between the young undefeated lightweights Alexander Rios (7-0, 4 KOs) and Benigno Agular (10-0, 4 KOs). Most Valuable Prospects III, presented by Celsius Essential Energy Drinks, will precede the historic 12-round, three-minute rounds unified featherweight title bout between undisputed featherweight champion Amanda Serrano and WBO challenger Danila Ramos. Tickets are now on sale at https://www.ticketmaster.com/mvp-presents-amanda-serrano-vs-danila-orlando-florida-10-27-2023/event/22005F2D8E29C1CE

Antonio Vargas, a proud Puerto Rican and local favorite residing in Kissimmee, Florida, aims to defend his WBA Continental Americas title in the headlining Most Valuable Prospects III preliminary bout. Vargas is currently ranked #2 in the world by the WBA, and seeks to extend his six-bout winning streak against Hernan Marquez, the 35-year-old southpaw out of Empalme, Sonora, Mexico. Known for his early-round knockout power, the veteran fighter will look to secure his fifth consecutive win as he takes on the exciting Vargas on Friday, October 27th.

Most Valuable Prospects III main card will feature Alexander Rios vs. Benigno Aguilar as the two lightweight fighters go head-to-head in a 6-round bout. Aguilar, the 24-year-old Mexican American fighter out of Crescent City, Florida, will put his undefeated record to the test against fellow undefeated prospect Rios. The 22-year-old Rios comes to the ring from St. Cloud, FL via Bayamon, Puerto Rico boasting a clean record of seven professional wins and zero losses. Rios returns to Most Valuable Prospects III after a memorable first round knockout on Most Valuable Prospects II.

Also returning to the main card of Most Valuable Prospects III will be the young Puerto Rican sensation Krystal Rosado (1-0, 1 KO), Amanda Serrano’s first official signed fighter, who made her professional debut on Most Valuable Prospects II with an impressive TKO victory in the second round, demonstrating her superstar potential. Rosado’s opponent will be announced in the coming days.

“The world will be watching Amanda Serrano and Danila Ramomake history Friday, October 27th as the first-ever unified women’s championship bout to be fought at 12, three-minute rounds,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “Preceding their historic fight, MVP is thrilled to continue shining a spotlight on both the best and most promising fighters through Most Valuable Prospects III. Rios vs Aguilar will undoubtedly be a Puerto Rico vs Mexico battle and Krystal Rosado is looking to continue her spectacular start to her professional career.”

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and promoted by MVP, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed by DAZN. The third event in the series continues the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2023 and will be hosted by Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. DAZN will air the series globally across its platforms as a part of its subscription package which will include Serrano vs. Ramos, the entire main card lineup and prelims. CELSIUS Essential Energy Drinks, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of the Most Valuable Prospects series.

For more information, follow on Twitter via @Serranosisters, @MostVPromotions, @JakePaul, @Boxlab_AP, and @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleor on Instagram via @serranosisters, @MostValuablePromotions, @JakePaul, and @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleorlando.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVPworks to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head-to-head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US, and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.?  

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.? 

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.? 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.?? 

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando




AMANDA SERRANO MAKES HISTORY ONCE AGAIN AS SHE IS SET TO FACE DANILA RAMOS IN THE FIRST EVER WOMEN’S UNIFIED TITLE BOUT AT 12 THREE- MINUTE ROUNDS ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 27th LIVE ON DAZN

San Juan, Puerto Rico – September 6, 2023 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) took another historic step on its mission to advance women in boxing to be treated equal to their male peers, announcing the first ever Women’s Unified Championship bout with the same rules as a Men’s Championship. Seven division boxing world champion and undisputed featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (45-2-1, 30 KOs)will face mandatory WBO featherweight challenger Danila “A Guerreira” Ramos (12-2, 1 KO) on Friday, October 27th at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. Serrano vs. Ramos will be preceded by MVP’s third installment of its Most Valuable Prospects series, presented by Celsius Essential Energy Drinks. The WBO, WBA and IBF world title fight between Serrano and Ramos will be contested at 126 lbs and will set a long-awaited historic precedent in women’s boxing as Serrano vs. Ramos will be contested over 12 three-minute rounds, equal to men’s championship fights. To date, per the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports women’s championship fights have been contested as 10 round bouts at 2 minutes per round. Most Valuable Prospects III which precedes Serrano vs. Ramos will be headlined by Antonio Vargas (16-1, 9KOs) as he looks to defend his WBA Continental Americas bantamweight title in a 10 round bout. Serrano vs. Ramos and Most Valuable Prospects III will be available globally on DAZN, with tickets set to go on sale Wednesday, September 13th at www.ticketmaster.com.

Serrano vs. Ramos seeks to set a new standard for women’s boxing, one that hasn’t been seen since Layla McCarter vs. Melissa Hernandez in 2007. This marks over 15 years since the sport has garnered a women’s fight equal to the men’s maximum of 12 rounds at 3 minutes each. Now, with the world watching, Serrano and Ramos will show a new generation of female boxers that they can do anything their male counterparts can do and for the first time ever compete at the same level for a unified world championship title.

Serrano, the first ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion, started her current WBO featherweight title reign by defeating Heather Hardy in a brutal 10 round fight in 2019 to win the WBO belt, and has since defended her WBO belt five times. Most recently, Serrano offered Hardy redemption, but successfully defended her undisputed featherweight world champion title for the first time in a decisive 10 round unanimous decision victory. Serrano also won a blood-soaked war against WBA featherweight champion Erika Cruz back in February, which made her the undisputed featherweight champion. Serrano’s decisive win against Cruz followed her previous win over Sarah Mahfoud in Manchester, England that added the Dane’s IBF title to her WBO, WBC, and IBO featherweight belts. Her historic clash against Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden in 2022 earned recognition as Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year and was further nominated for Event of the Year by Sports Business Journal. 

Beyond her power packed punches, the Puerto Rican native is a fierce advocate for equality in women’s boxing. Her headlining bout against Katie Taylor in 2022 broke barriers in women’s boxing when it came to equal pay and was the first combat sports event headlined by two women at Madison Square Garden. Serrano will continue to make history as she faces Ramos, proving that boxers of all genders should compete at the very highest level possible, creating a new, equal standard of 12 three-minute rounds, irrespective of gender.

“Danila Ramos may be my WBO mandatory challenger, but when we step in the ring, she will understand exactly why I am the undisputed featherweight champion,” said Amanda Serrano. “But this fight is about more than some belts. We have faced a long and hard battle, united as women, to achieve the same pay, respect, and recognition in boxing. Together, on Friday, October 27th, we will make history and prove to the world once again, how incredible women’s boxing is and that we are just as tough, dynamic, and capable as any man in the ring, if not more so. This is a fight for women everywhere to be treated the same as their male counterparts.”

Ramos, the veteran fighter out of Buenos Aires by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil, was ordered by the WBO on August 28th as mandatory challenger for Serrano’s featherweight world title. On August 18th, Ramos won the WBO Interim World Featherweight Championship via a split decision over Brenda Karen Carbajal in Buenos Aires who had held the belt since May 13th, 2022. She shares the same sentiment and desire as Serrano when it comes to showing the world that the rules of elite boxing should be the same for men and women.

“Fighting Amanda Serrano for 12 three-minute rounds for a Unified Championship is set to break the barriers that we women have been looking to do for many years,” said Danila Ramos. “We will go down in history and in the books, it will be a fight of two women warriors! I am preparing like never before for this fight and will proudly represent Brazil as we battle in Orlando, Florida and I look to bring all the belts home.”

“MVP has been focused on disrupting and transforming boxing since our inception two years ago and Amanda Serrano has been a key pillar of those efforts. She is not one of the greatest female boxers ever, she is one of the greatest boxers ever, period,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “On Friday, October 27th, Amanda will once again demonstrate that she is a true ambassador of the sport and an advocate for all female athletes. Her dedication to transforming this sport into the best it can be is nothing short of admirable and she does it all with class outside the ring and a supreme intensity inside the ring. We also recognize Danila Ramos for her determination to show the world that women are equal. Additionally, it’s important that we thank the Florida Athletic Commission for approving this fight and being a part of this historic event.”

“Amanda Serrano is a true trailblazer and innovator”, said Joe Markowski, CEO DAZN North America. “Since DAZN started working with Amanda, she has pushed for three minute rounds, and so we are proud to be involved in this historic night for the sport on October 27th. Watch it live around the world on DAZN.”

Serrano vs. Ramos will be preceded by MVP’s third installment of its Most Valuable Prospects series, presented by Celsius Essential Energy Drinks. The main card of Most Valuable Prospects III will feature three exciting matchups, including the return of the young Puerto Rican sensation Krystal Rosado, Amanda Serrano’s first official signed fighter, who made her pro-debut on Most Valuable Prospects II with an impressive TKO victory in the second round, demonstrating her superstar potential. The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and promoted by MVP, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed by DAZN. The third event in the series continues the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2023 and will be hosted by Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. DAZN will air the series globally across its platforms as a part of its subscription package which will include Serrano vs. Ramos, the entire main card lineup and prelims. CELSIUS Essential Energy Drinks, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of the Most Valuable Prospects series.

For more information, follow on Twitter via @Serranosisters, @MostVPromotions, and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @serranosisters, @daniboxe, @MostValuablePromotions, and @DAZNBoxing.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

?

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram,Twitter(@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando

About CELSIUS Holdings, Inc.

CELSIUS Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: CELH), is a global consumer packaged goods company with a proprietary, clinically proven formula. A lifestyle energy drink born in fitness and a pioneer in the rapidly growing energy category. CELSIUS energy drinks offer proprietary, functional, essential energy formulas clinically-proven to offer significant health benefits to its users. CELSIUS energy drinks are backed by six university studies that were published in peer-reviewed journals validating the unique benefits provided by them. For more information, please visit: https://www.celsius.com.




BOXING SUPERSTAR SAVANNAH MARSHALL AND PFL AGREE TO MULTI-YEAR MMA DEAL

NEW YORK (August 22, 2023) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, today announced the signing of Super Middleweight boxing world champion Savannah Marshall. Marshall is regarded as one of the greatest women’s combat sports athletes in the world, with over two million viewers tuning into her October 2022 bout against Claressa Shields, making the event the most watched women’s professional boxing event in history.

Marshall is set to begin her MMA career inside the PFL SmartCage and join the deepest female combat sports roster in the world, which includes two-time Olympic gold medalists Kayla Harrison and Claressa Shields, PFL World Champion Larissa Pacheco, and Amanda Serrano. Together these women lay the foundation for PFLW, which will put the focus on women in combat sports while continuing the PFL’s fighter first merit-based approach to MMA.

“I want to welcome two-time boxing world champion, Savannah Marshall to the Professional Fighters League,” said Peter Murray, PFL CEO. “It’s an exciting time for PFL as we officially launch PFLW, and the addition of Savannah Marshall strengthens the best global roster of women in combat sports. PFLW is committed to the empowerment and equality of all female athletes and provides a dedicated platform for women to become PFL MMA champions.”

“I am thrilled to begin my journey in MMA with The Professional Fighters League,” said Savannah Marshall. “I am proud to join the most talented female combat sports athletes in the world and continue to raise the profile of women in sports through PFLW.”

In the creation of PFLW, the Professional Fighters League renews their commitment to empowering and leveling the playing field for women in combat sports. PFLW will strive for equality in and out of the PFL SmartCage.

The 2023 PFL Playoffs continue live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Wednesday, August 23, airing on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.

PFL is the #1 fastest growing company in MMA and the #2 MMA company on a worldwide basis. PFL is the only league in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year, making PFL a “win and advance” meritocracy like all other major sports. PFL fighter roster hails from over 20 countries and 25% of PFL fighters are independently ranked in the top 25 of their weight-class. The company leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage powering real-time betting and next-gen viewing experience.

About Professional Fighters League
Professional Fighters League (PFL) is the fastest growing and most innovative sports league. PFL is the #2 MMA company worldwide on all key metrics and the only with the sports-season format where individual fighters compete in Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship. Our global live fight franchises: PFL League Season, PFL Challenger Series, PFL PPV Super Fights, and PFL Europe.

PFL airs live in the U.S on ESPN and ESPN+ and is broadcast and streamed to 140 countries with 25 international leading media partners, including DAZN, Stan Sport, Viacom18, RMC Sport, Globo, Star Times, FPT, CSM, DirectTV, ITV, and MBC.  PFL has dozens of major brand sponsors such as Anheuser-Busch, GEICO, Bose, US Marine Corps, and Celsius Energy Drink. 

PFL is backed by blue-chip investors including Ares, Luxor Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, Knighthead, Legends, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners.

MMA is the growth sport of this decade, with over 600 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demo of any sport, and true global revenue streams.

PFLmma.com; Instagram (@PFLmma); Twitter (@PFLMMA); Facebook (/PFLmma)




AMANDA SERRANO SIGNS ON TO MANAGE UP AND COMING FEMALE BOXER KRYSTAL ROSADO AHEAD OF HER PROFESSIONAL BOXING DEBUT ON MOST VALUABLE PROSPECTS II

NEW YORK, NY – August 16, 2023 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced that Krystal Rosado will be going face to face with Tarrethia Dixon (1-0, 1 KO) in a 4-round bout at 115 Ibs on Friday, August 18 in Orlando, Florida during its second installment of Most Valuable Prospects. Rosado, a Carolina, Puerto Rican native, is newly managed by MVP’s own undisputed featherweight world champion, Amanda Serrano. As Serrano’s first signed athlete, Rosado will be under the guidance of one of boxing’s and Puerto Rico’s most decorated athletes. Serrano will be in Rosado’s corner as she makes her professional boxing debut. 

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and promoted by MVP, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed by DAZN. CELSIUS Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drink, has also recently signed on to be the exclusive energy drink sponsor of the Most Valuable Prospects series. The second event in the series continues the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2023 and will be hosted by the series’ official title sponsor, Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. DAZN will air the series across its platforms as a part of its subscription package which will include the entire main card lineup and prelims. Tickets are now on sale at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22005EEADB50BF76

Ahead of her debut, Rosado represented Puerto Rico in the 2023 IBA Women’s World Championships and won in an impressive feat against Petrae Mezei. The 20-year-old also took home a Bronze medal at this year’s Central American and Caribbean Games. 

Rosado’s competitor will be Tarrethia Dixon who holds the record of 1-0 with 1 KO. The 27-year-old Kalamazoo, Michigan native is coming off her first victory, which ended in a first round KO against the former amateur standout Natalie Gray. 

“I met Krystal years ago in Puerto Rico when she was 15 years old. Krystal and her mother used to attend each of my boxing matches and over time, we became incredibly close. She has an immeasurable amount of untapped potential and her growth as an athlete is already remarkable. We’ve spared a few times over the years and now at the age of 20, she has the skills necessary to make it in this business. Even Nakisa and Jake were very impressed by her tenacity and determination in the ring,” said Amanda Serrano. “It’s an honor to help her as she embarks on this next part of her career and I look forward to being there Friday night as she makes her debut. I promise it will be a battle you won’t want to miss.” 

“This is the first female fight we’ve had in our Most Valuable Prospects series, and it couldn’t be more of a full circle moment because Amanda is managing one of the boxers,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “MVP started this series to promote and provide a stage for the most promising, young talent out there, no matter what gender. Amanda has been the biggest supporter of female athletes and it’s a privilege to watch her offer her advice and expertise to Krystal. August 18th will be a big night with a lot of surprises coming out of the ring.”

“It’s great for all the fans in Orlando to have Amanda Serrano back in town at Caribe Royale. The local Puerto Rican community gets a chance to see a new and rising prospect lead by one of the Greatest of all time! We’re proud this show is at Caribe Royale and the Central Florida area as we continue to bring new and exciting events to the area,” said Amaury Piedra, Managing Director of Caribe Royale Resort and President of Boxlab Promotions.

Most Valuable Prospects II will also feature bouts between Nestor “El Mas Bravo” Bravo and Will “III Will” Madera, welterweights Damian Lescaille (4-0, 3 KOs) and Hugo Noriega (8-0, 5 KOs) for the WBA Continental Americas Title, Elijah Fores (5-0, 2 KOs) and Elijah Williams (6-0, 2KOs), Lorenzo Medina (7-0, 6 KOs) and Antonio Torres (4-0, 4 KOs), and lastly, Antraveous Ingram (5-0, 2 KOs) vs. Orlenis Licea (0-0-1), who made his debut on Most Valuable Prospects I. 

For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, @DAZNBoxing, @Boxlab_AP, and @cariberoyale or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleorlando.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVPworks to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head-to-head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US, and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.?  

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.? 

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.? 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.?? 

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram,Twitter(@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando

About CELSIUS Holdings, Inc.

CELSIUS Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: CELH), is a global consumer packaged goods company with a proprietary, clinically proven formula. A lifestyle energy drink born in fitness and a pioneer in the rapidly growing energy category. CELSIUS energy drinks offer proprietary, functional, essential energy formulas clinically-proven to offer significant health benefits to its users. CELSIUS energy drinks are backed by six university studies that were published in peer-reviewed journals validating the unique benefits provided by them. For more information, please visit: https://www.celsius.com.




Jake Paul Decisions Nate Diaz in Entertaining Fight

Jake Paul won a 10-round unanimous decision over Nate Diaz in an entertaining cruiserweight bout in front of a capacity crowd at The American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.

In round one, Paul hurt Diaz with a left to the top of the head and had him reeling to ropes as he landed a hard flurry of punches. Diaz made a stand in round four as he landed some shots that drove Paul back. In round five, Paul dropped Diaz with a short left hook to the side of the head.

The second half of the fight saw Diaz be more competitive as he was able to get to Paul several times by landing short shots on the inside that snap the head of Paul. There were several toe-to-toe exchanges that thrilled the boisterous crowd at The American Airlines Arena. The battled it out until the final bell.

Paul landed 174 of 491 punches. Diaz was 143 of 392.

Paul, 185 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 98-91 twice and 97-92 and is now 7-1. Diaz, 184.9 lbs of Stockton, CA was making his professional boxing debut.

Jake Paul Quotes

On his training camp for this fight: “I’m a new fighter. The new team we brought in, the new strength and conditioning—- everything was new and I worked harder this camp. It pushed me to my limits. There were moments in the gym where I thought, ‘Damn I don’t even know if I can do this,’ but I just kept on believing in myself and now my gas tank is crazy. I could have kept on going. I could have gone 12 rounds and we are just stepping up and up, and after doing it in three years- I’m happy with myself.”

On what it’s like to fight Nate: “It was fun and I knew he was trying to take breaks so I would pounce on him when he was doing that. We were talking to each other the whole fight.” 

“When you’re in there with another dog, you can sense it. It just makes the sport more fun and this fight was probably the most memorable yet.”

On his previous loss: “The loss was seriously the best thing. It set me on the path I was supposed to be on and you can’t cut corners in this sport. I was in the gym the day after the loss. I flew back from the Middle East and went to the gym every single day up until this fight.”

Nate Diaz Quotes:

On Jake Paul: He needed a takedown. He needed a choke. He did a good job. He’s a fucking athletic, strong dude and he hits hard and fast, but it ain’t nothing I hadn’t seen before, and I trained with people who were [like that]. These guys can throw down. It’s good shit. […] I should have been throwing punches, keeping him on the outside. I’m not trying to make an excuse, but about a month back I hurt my […] right arm, a bit. I think I should’ve kept to the outside and circled, and done better stuff. But it’s all good. There’s no way I [wouldn’t] show up for a fight because of something like that. You gotta go regardless, no matter what. 

[The chokehold was a] done deal. In a real fight, the fight’s over, and I would have secured the win, but we were participating in a boxing match, and it was a good time, and now I know… I’ve trained my whole career in boxing with pro boxers on the highest level, high as I could get, and I’ve done really well. I’ve never fought in a pro fight, so I thought I’d fuck up anybody. The guillotine… that was too easy. The takedown was too easy too – I got the punch, his whole weight was in my chest. In MMA they smash my head and fuck me up. 

I didn’t think I won. I knew he got the knockdown, but I figured I won a good amount of rounds. 

On his boxing debut: I would’ve liked to have trained like I do – when I’m smaller. I was kind of concerned with getting bigger. I didn’t think he was much bigger than me. 

On facing off with Jake Paul in MMA: Yeah, I think I would fight him. It’s easy to take him down. Two, three, four months [from now], I’m ready to rock. We’re going to talk. 

On returning to boxing: 100%. Talk about experience. […] I didn’t even get cut today. I get cut in every MMA fight I fight in. I have nobody’s [name] in mind right now, but […] next week, get back to me. I’m sure I’ll have a list full of motherfuckers’ asses to whip.

Serrano Defends Undisputed Title with Another Decision over Hardy

Amanda Serrano retained the Undisputed Featherweight Title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Heather Hardy in a rematch of a bout that had the same result in 2019.

Serrano battered and bloodied a tough-as-nails Hardy, who took many hard shots. She was able to get through all 10-rounds.

In round one, Serrano came out ripping hard shots to the body and head that made the nose of Hardy to start bleeding.

In round nine, Hard began to bleed from a big gash in her forehead from an accidental headbutt.

Serrano landed 278 of 739 punches. Hardy was 149 of 557.

Serrano, 124.6 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91 and is now 45-2-1. Hardy, 125.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 24-3-1.

Amanda Serrano

On how tonight went: “It’s another day at the job. It feels good, I wanted to be on this card because I knew there would be a lot of people here wanting to see Jake vs Nate Diaz and that’s why we chose Heather. I just wanted to be here.” 

On Jake Paul: “He’s very on the job. When I was training down in Puerto Rico, I saw him training in the gym. I saw how much he improved. I saw it tonight, he went ten rounds —  he’s a real fighter now.

Chris Avila Decisions Jeremy Stephens

In a battle of former MMA fighters, Chris Avila pounded out an six-round unanimous decision over Jeremy Stephens in a super middleweight fight.

Avila landed 141 of 377 punches. Stephens was 81 of 267.

Avila, 170.3 lbs of Stockton, CA won by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 twice and is now 4-1. Stephens, 167 lbs of Chula Vista, CA is now 0-1-1.

Chris Avila

On the sold-out crowd and live audience energy: It was cool. It was motivating. And it was cool to see a bunch of people out there. And it made me feel good to go out there and show off. And yeah, it was fun.

And it shows you how much Nate brings to the fucking table. That was all Nate Diaz right there. This fan base is crazy. 

On getting ready for this fight with Nate as he got ready for a big fight: It was a long camp so we had a lot of boxing going on and a lot of high level boxing throughout the week. So it was a good camp and everyone got good work and everyone was leveled up. We’re on a good schedule. We’re locked for months. We’re always on the same schedule, but we were locked in. Everyone performed good tonight. It was a good camp.

Sylve Stops Silva with a Body Shot in Round 4

Ashton Sylve remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over William Silva in a lightweight contest.

At the end of round two, Sylve landed perfect left to the body tat put Silva on his back. In round four, Sylve landed another crushing left to the body, but this time Silva did not get up and the fight was over at 2:59.

Sylve,134.5 lbs of Long Beach, CA is 10-0 with nine knockouts. Silva, 134.6 of St. Petersburg, FL is 30-5.

H2O Sylve

On what he wants going forward: “I definitely want to be the best. I think that’s what the majority of the fighters want to be- a world champion.”

On fighting other top fighters in his weight class: “I definitely want to put my name out there. I think after this performance it makes sense, but at the same time I’ll see you when I see you. They are the top guys in the division, so they sort of have the shots now.”

On fighting at AAC in front of a sold out crowd: “It’s always a blessing to fight in front of a crowd and get myself out there and expose myself to a crowd like that. Being comfortable fighting in front of a crowd of, I think they said 20,000 people in attendance. It’s sort of destined for me to be on a big stage and everytime I’m under the lights like that my performance is high class.”

Shadasia Green Decisions Olivia Curry

Top-Ranked super middleweight contender Shadasia Green won a 10-round unanimous decision over Olivia Curry.

Curry had some success early by boxing and moving, but Green took over the second half of the fight as she landed some booming right hands that Curry took but marked up her face.

Green landed 179 of 385 punches. Curry was 99 of 495.

Green, 166.9 lbs of Paterson, NJ won by scores of 100-89, 100-90 and 99-91 and is now 13-0. Curry, 166.7 lbs of Chicago is 7-2.

Alan Sanchez Decisions Angel Beltran

Alan Sanchez scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Angel Beltran in a welterweight bout.

Sanchez landed 149 of 439 punches. Beltran landed 130 of 451.

Sanchez, 147 lbs of Fairfield, CA won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75 and is now 23-5-1. Beltran, 144.4 lbs of Indio, CA is 17-2.

Kevin Newman II won a ight-round unanimous decision over Quilisto Madera in a super middleweight bout.

In round two, Madera began to swell under his left eye.

In round seven, Madera was deducted a point for hitting on the break.

Newman, 161.8 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 80-71 and 79-72 twice and is now 15-3-1. Madera, 164.9 lbs of Stockton, CA is 14-4.

Jose Aguayo won a four-round majority decision over Noel Cavazos in a welterweight bout.

In round three, Aguayo was cut over his left eye.

Aguayo, 148.6 lbs of Ventura, CA won by scores of 39-37 twice and 38-38 and is now 1-1. Cavazos, 149.4 lbs of San Ramon, CA is 2-2.

Luciiano Ramos won a four-round unanimous decision over Cee Jay Hamilton in a junior welterweight bout.

Ramos, 140 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG won by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37 and is now 2-3. Hamilton, 136.9 lbs of Hartwell, GA was making his pro debut.

Alan Sanchez

On the crowd and energy: Yeah, it was great to see a lot of people support. A lot of people from Stockton too come over here and support us. It’s motivating to see a lot of people here.

On getting ready for this fight with Nate as he got ready for a big fight: Well, it’s great, you know, we have a great camp. Everybody’s trained hard. We trained with Robert Garcia, we have good sparring over there. It was a great camp.




PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE SIGNS UNDISPUTED BOXING CHAMPION AMANDA “THE REAL DEAL” SERRANO

NEW YORK (AUGUST 2, 2023) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league in the world, today announced an exclusive partnership with Amanda Serrano which will see her fight exclusively in MMA for the new PFL PPV Super Fight Division. She is the undisputed featherweight boxing champion of the world, the first ever fighter from Puerto Rico to become an undisputed world champion, a seven division world champion and one of the most influential combat sports athletes across the globe.

Amanda Serrano has always demonstrated incredible strength and punching power in the ring, leading to a 44-2-1 record with a staggering 30 KO’s and no other boxer in history has achieved her level of success in MMA and Jiu Jitsu. She will now step back into the cage again, holding a 2-0-1 MMA record, winning both of her career fights by submission. She also holds a 5-0 record in No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu with 4 submissions, showing off her full range of skills to be an elite MMA champion. Serrano’s last MMA bout was in 2021, a victory over Valentina Garcia by submission.

Serrano joins Francis Ngannou, Jake Paul and Kayla Harrison in the PFL PPV Super Fight Division, which was launched to forge true economic partnerships with MMA’s top superstars to compete in global mega events. Her debut in the PFL SmartCage and opponent will be announced at a future date. DAZN is a partner of PFL’s Super Fight Division and will distribute events on its PPV platform in Europe and other priority international markets.

“I joined the PFL PPV Super Fight Division because of their revolutionary format that empowers fighters like never before. The PFL’s commitment to promoting high-profile, pay-per-view events with some of the biggest MMA stars in the world showcases an incredible opportunity to elevate my career to new heights and prove my ability beyond just the ring. I may be known for boxing, but I’ve always loved and trained in MMA and Jiu-Jitsu, knowing those skills would only add to my ability when going against any opponent,” said Amanda Serrano. “The league’s commitment to gender equality, providing equal opportunities and recognition of female fighters, is also a driving force behind my decision. I can’t wait to step back into the cage and deliver thrilling performances and unforgettable moments for fans around the world.”

“I’m thrilled to announce undisputed world boxing champion Amanda Serrano as the next global superstar to join the PFL PPV Super Fight Division,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “Our fighter-first culture has attracted the world’s top athletes and we’re looking forward to seeing Amanda take on the sport of MMA with the PFL.”

“Amanda Serrano’s decision to join the Professional Fighters League is a natural fit for one of the most accomplished combat sports stars in history,” said co-creators of the PFL PPV Super Fight Division, Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul. “The PFL’s innovative format, coupled with its commitment to equal fighter-pay and elevating female fighters, provides Amanda with an unparalleled opportunity to showcase her MMA skills to the world. She’s a knockout queen in the ring and has shown to be a submission artist in the cage. Her addition to the PPV Super Fight Division is a testament to the growth and appeal of the league, further solidifying the PFL as the premier destination for MMA stars across the globe.”

PFL is the #1 fastest growing company in MMA and the #2 MMA company on a worldwide basis. PFL is the only league in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year, making PFL a “win and advance” meritocracy like all other major sports. PFL fighter roster hails from over 20 countries and 25% of PFL fighters are independently ranked in the top 25 of their weight-class. The company leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage powering real-time betting and next-gen viewing experience.

About Professional Fighters League

Professional Fighters League (PFL) is the fastest growing and most innovative sports league. PFL is the #2 MMA company worldwide on all key metrics and the only with the sports-season format where individual fighters compete in Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship. The Company has four global live fight franchises:  PFL League Season, PFL Challenger Series, PFL PPV Super Fights, and PFL Europe.

PFL airs live in the U.S on ESPN and ESPN+ and is broadcast and streamed to 140 countries with 25 international leading media partners, including DAZN, Stan Sport, Viacom18, RMC Sport, Globo, Star Times, FPT, CSM, DirectTV, ITV, and MBC.  PFL has dozens of major brand sponsors such as Anheuser-Busch, GEICO, Bose, US Marine Corps, and Celsius Energy Drink.

PFL is backed by blue-chip investors including Ares, Luxor Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, Knighthead, Legends, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners.

MMA is the growth sport of this decade, with over 600 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demo of any sport, and true global revenue streams.

PFLmma.com; Instagram (@PFLmma); Twitter (@PFLMMA); Facebook (/PFLmma)




BAUMGARDNER: I’M WANT ALL THE SMOKE

Alycia Baumgardner is hunting the biggest names in the sport – but only when she completes a revenge mission in style as she defends her undisputed Super-Featherweight title against old foe Christina Linardatou at the Masonic Temple in Detroit on Saturday night, live worldwide on DAZN.

Baumgardner (14-1 7 KOs) headlines in her hometown for the first time as she makes the second defense of her undisputed crown and can right the only loss of her career in the process as she meets Linardatou (14-2 6 KOs), the Greek who defeated her over eight rounds in July 2018.

‘The Bomb’ became undisputed with a huge win over Mikaela Mayer in London in October and now headlining at home, the 29 year old is getting a taste of the big time and wants more, providing she can exact her revenge on Saturday night.

“I’m writing a book, on who I am,” said Baumgardner. “Winning on Saturday closes a chapter. People are saying, ‘well Christina was her only loss’. There are only clips of the fight on YouTube, I’ve never seen the whole fight. I remember when I was in the ring that night and her hand was raised, I was like ‘damn, I’ve got my first loss’. But then I was like, ‘I’m not done, who cares?’ 

“It was needed for growth, and I want people to recognize what growth looks like; it’s ugly, and it hurts. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel and it tells a story. 

“I wanted to show people that a loss doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I got to see at that given time, what it would have looked like had I won because I saw her career; she became a World champion after that. And I thought ‘wow, that could have been me’ but everything comes back full circle, and I am happy everything played out the way it was supposed to as now I’m undisputed and fighting her in my backyard. I keep thinking how the fight is going to play out, it will be spectacular, it will give me the feeling that this is what I have been waiting for and I am going to punish her. 

“I want her to know that she is in with someone that isn’t the same fighter that she fought five years ago. I chose her. I could have fought anyone, but I chose her. She’s hungry and she should be. She has fought some great fighters, and she’s pumped that she’s beaten me before, that drives her, but she has no idea. After the first fight she came up to me and said you are the hardest fighter I’ve ever fought. If she thinks I hit hard then, just wait until she gets this work. You are in there with a dog, and I am going to punish you.

“To be in this era now as a woman fighter is everything I imagined when I turned pro. I can say I am part of history and we have been able to showcase to the world what a woman athlete looks like. 

“I would love a fight with Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Chantelle Cameron; those are huge fights. We have undisputed champions at every weight class and it builds to big fights, whatever way you look at it. A rematch with Mikaela, even at 135lbs, would be great, to beat her in the States in front of a sold-out crowd would be amazing. I want the Katie fight, I was there in Dublin, and I saw something different. I want all the girls, I’m hungry, I’m a fighter and I like a challenge. 

“This is going to show everything, the full package, people have seen glimpses and in my last performance I gave myself a B, there’s an A+ out there and on Saturday it’s going to be that.”

Baumgardner’s defense is part of a big night of action in Detroit as Cuban amateur sensation Any Cruz makes his professional debut against former World title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos.

Michigan Heavyweight Jermaine Franklin returns to action after back-to-back fights in London, England against Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, and he faces unbeaten Mexican Issac Munoz, while the night is kicked-off live on DAZN by Detroit’s Ja’Rico O’Quinn taking on Carlos Mujica over ten rounds at Featherweight.




Undisputed Featherweight World Champion Amanda Serrano Gives Heather Hardy Chance for Redemption on Saturday, August 5th in Dallas, Texas

NEW YORK, NY – May 4, 2023 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Real Fight Inc. (Real Fight) announced the rematch between seven-weight boxing world champion and undisputed featherweight world champion Amanda “Real Deal” Serrano (44-2-1) and former WBO featherweight title holder Heather “The Heat” Hardy (24-2, 4 KOs). After earning the WBO featherweight from Hardy nearly four years ago, Serrano will put all her belts on the line and defend her undisputed title for the first time vs. Hardy in a co-main event alongside Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on August 5th. The event will be distributed globally on pay-per-view by DAZN, in addition to all major cable, satellite and local PPV providers. Pre-sale tickets for those that have signed up for early access will be available on May 9, while general on sale will begin on May 11. All tickets can be purchased on https://www.americanairlinescenter.com/events/detail/paul-v-diaz

Serrano, the first Puerto Rican undisputed world champion, started her current title reign at featherweight by defeating Heather Hardy in a brutal 10-round fight in 2019 to win the WBO belt. On August 5th, Hardy, also a Brooklyn native, will attempt to avenge her loss and take all of Serrano’s belts in a 10-round bout contested at 126 lbs. Serrano steps back into the ring after winning a blood-soaked war against WBA featherweight champion Erika Cruz in February, making her the undisputed featherweight champion but also left her with a hand injury that resulted in canceling her much anticipated rematch with Katie Taylor. Serrano’s decisive win against Cruz followed her previous win over Sarah Mahfoud in Manchester, England that added the Dane’s IBF title to her WBO, WBC, and IBO featherweight belts. Her resounding clash against Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden in 2022 earned recognition as Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year and was further nominated for Event of the Year by Sports Business Journal. 

“I am the undisputed featherweight champion today because Heather Hardy agreed to fight me in 2019 for her WBO title,” said Serrano. “That was the first step in my current run at featherweight. It’s only right that I give her the opportunity to earn it back. I’m excited to once again share the card with Jake and put on an exciting war. This will be the first time I get to fight in Texas, and I promise the fans that they will not be disappointed.”

Hardy, the Brooklyn-born former World Boxing Organization featherweight champion who is promoted by Hall-of-Fame promoter Lou DiBella’s DiBella Entertainment, will bring “The Heat” once again as she seeks to etch her name in boxing history and become the undisputed featherweight world champion. Following her professional debut in 2012, she claimed the vacant WBC international super bantamweight title in 2014, and in 2016 won the WBC international featherweight title and became one of the biggest draws in boxing. In 2018, Heather became world champion, winning the WBO featherweight title with a unanimous decision win over Shelly Vincent at Madison Square Garden. Heather put her title on the line in 2019 and lost in a unified title fight to WBC world champion Amanda Serrano in the first clash of the two boxing stars. Since then, she has battled back towards the top, recently defeating Brazil’s Taynna Cardoso in her last fight in February. 

“I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity,” said Hardy. “In 2021, I came back to boxing with a renewed passion for the sport. My late trainer told me, the day before he died, that 2023 would be my year. Now, I have the opportunity to prove him right and become an undisputed champion. Thank you to Amanda and team for keeping their word on giving me the rematch, but come fight night, I only have winning on my mind and stealing the show from Jake Paul and Nate Diaz.”

Most Valuable Promotions, founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, and Real Fight, Inc., founded by Nate Diaz, are partnering to bring this event to global audiences as Paul and Diaz battle it out as the other co-main event at the American Airlines Center. The event will be distributed and co-produced globally by DAZN PPV and made available on all devices, platforms, cable, and satellite PPV providers around the world.

“Amanda is one of the most decorated and elite athletes ever and is on path to become the winningest female boxer of all time,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “After some much needed recovery time, Amanda is excited to return to the ring and remind fans why she is the most devasting puncher in women’s boxing. If Amanda prevails in the fight, the plan is to immediately pursue the rematch with Katie Taylor in Ireland. In front of her will be one of the most revered female boxers of the last twenty years in Heather Hardy, who has only improved from the fighter she was when she faced Amanda last. Heather is very much planning on walking away as the new undisputed featherweight champion. Paul-Diaz-Serrano-Hardy… what a night!”

For more information, follow on Twitter via @Serranosisters, @MostVPromotions, @HeatherHardyBox, and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @serranosisters, @heathertheheat, @MostValuablePromotions, and @DAZNBoxing.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN:

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

?

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

About American Airlines Center: 

Designed by architectural wizard David M. Schwarz and Dallas based HKS, Inc., American Airlines Center is considered one of the nation’s top arenas. Since opening its doors in 2001, the Center has been setting the precedent for sporting and live entertainment events. Bringing in a wide variety of big name shows as well as being home of both the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, American Airlines Center consistently displays its unique versatility. Billboard Magazine named American Airlines Center the 6th busiest arena in the world in 2022.




AUDIO: Amanda Serrano Post Fight press Conference following Undisputed Title win over Erika Cruz






VIDEO: Amanda Serrano Post Fight press Conference following Undisputed Title win over Erika Cruz




ANTHONY JOSHUA RETURNS HOME TO FIGHT JERMAINE FRANKLIN ON APRIL 1

Former two-time unified Heavyweight Champion of the World Anthony Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) fights at The O2 in London for the first time since 2016 as he begins life under the tutelage of new head trainer Derrick James. ‘AJ’ returns to the scene of his first World Title win over Charles Martin to face another American contender in Jermain Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs). Saginaw’s ‘989 Assassin’ pushed Dillian Whyte all the way in a close points loss at Wembley’s OVO Arena last November and is relishing his shot against one of the biggest names in the sport. British megastar Joshua is ready to begin his ascent back to the top of the Heavyweight division after suffering back-to-back losses to pound-for-pound great Oleksandr Usyk in London and Saudi Arabia.

This fight will be the first in Joshua’s new five-year partnership with DAZN to be streamed live, exclusive and worldwide on the digital sports entertainment platform, which is fast becoming the undisputed Global Home of Boxing. Joshua vs. Franklin will be included in the £9.99 per month DAZN saver subscription, making it the first fight in over eight years that fans do not need to pay an additional pay-per-view fee to watch Joshua. Beyond the UK, DAZN is available in over 200 territories. Simple to download as an app on Smart TVs, games consoles, tablets and mobiles, and subscribed to with one-click, being on DAZN will make this the most accessible Joshua fight ever.

“I’m looking forward to stepping back into the ring on April 1 at The O2 in London.” said Joshua. “Mentally and physically I feel ready. I want to put on a show and impress my coach as he has high standards. Franklin has a good style and a great attitude, which he has shown in recent fights. This will be my first fight broadcast on DAZN in the UK and it will be globally available on the platform. I want to thank DAZN for supporting both myself and the sport of boxing as a whole. I would also like to thank the team at 258 and Matchroom Boxing.”

“I’m ready to show the world why it’s time for me to take my place at the top of the Heavyweight division,” said Franklin. “Joshua had his time. It’s my time to shock the world! This fight isn’t going to the judge’s card. I will have win number 22 come April 1. That ain’t no April Fool’s joke.”

Alongside Joshua vs. Franklin, Matchroom and DAZN have announced its largest ever schedule of content for the first half of 2023 that will see even more iconic and emerging boxing talent, including five other premium fights, on its platform alongside an ever-greater roster of other sporting entertainment.

The following shows will be shown live and exclusive on DAZN with further fights and full undercard details to be announced shortly:

Saturday, February 18: Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara
Hometown hero Leigh Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) puts his WBA Featherweight World Title on the line against big-punching Mexican Mauricio Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs) as Matchroom’s 2023 schedule in the UK begins with a bang. ‘Leigh-thal’ memorably stopped Michael Conlan in the 12th and final round of his epic first defence of the WBA 126lbs title back in March 2022, knocking the Irishman out of the ring in brutal fashion to end their Fight of the Year stunner. ‘Bronco’ has been waiting patiently for his shot at Wood after their eagerly anticipated September 24 fight was postponed following a torn bicep suffered by Wood in sparring, but the Featherweight KO artist finally gets his dream World Title opportunity this month in what promises to be an epic battle between two knockout artists.

Saturday, March 11: Callum Smith vs. Pawel Stepien
The WBC’s No.1 ranked Light-Heavyweight contender Callum Smith (29-1, 21 KOs) returns home to face undefeated Pole Pawel Stepien (18-0-1, 12 KOs) at the M&S Bank Arena as he looks to secure a showdown with unified WBC, WBO and IBF ruler Artur Beterbiev later in the year. A stacked undercard sees Australia’s WBO Global Super-Lightweight Champion Liam Paro (23-0, 14 KOs) put his title on the line against local favourite Robbie Davies Jr (23-3, 15 KOs) following his sensational first-round KO win over fellow Aussie Brock Jarvis last October. One of the hottest prospects in America Diego Pacheco (17-0, 14 KOs) fights in the UK for the first time as faces another step up against Little Lever’s all-action Super-Middleweight Jack Cullen (21-3-1, 9 KOs). Full undercard details to follow.

Saturday, March 18: Cyrus Pattinson vs. Chris Jenkins
Matchroom’s first NXTGEN card of the year at the Utilita Arena Newcastle features some of the very best prospects in the North East looking to take the next steps in their promising careers. Former Team GB standout Cyrus Pattinson (5-0, 3 KOs) faces his toughest test so far in the professional ranks against Wales’ former British Welterweight Champion Chris Jenkins (23-6-3, 8 KOs) while Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver Medallist turned Welterweight prospect Pat McCormack (3-0, 2 KOs) looks to wow his home crowd against Italy’s Dario Socci (15-7-2, 6 KOs) in his first scheduled eight-round contest. Also on the card, Birmingham’s Solomon Dacres (5-0, 1 KO) squares off with Newcastle’s Robert Ismay (11-0, 4 KOs) for the English Heavyweight Title.

Saturday, April 8: Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez vs. Cristian Gonzalez
Boxing’s youngest World Champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (17-0, 11 KOs) attempts to become a two-weight ruler when he clashes with Cristian ‘El Chicharito’ Gonzalez (15-1, 5 KOs) for the vacant WBO 112lbs at the Boeing Center at Tech Port, San Antonio. The 23-year-old sensation from San Antonio, Texas enjoyed a stellar 2022, becoming boxing’s youngest active World Champion in February, stepping in late to meet Carlos Cuadras for the vacant WBC Super-Flyweight strap in Phoenix and then putting on a stunning display in his first defence, stopping Thai star Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on his San Antonio home turf in June inside eight rounds. He was named the Fighter of the Year by ESPN in their midyear awards for 2022 before outpointing Israel Gonzalez on the ‘Canelo’ vs. ‘GGG’ undercard in September.

Saturday, April 22: Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov vs. Joe Cordina
Unbeaten Welshman Joe Cordina (15-0, 9 KOs) attempts to win his IBF Super-Featherweight World Title back against current belt-holder Shavkatdzhon Rakhmiov (17-0-1, 14 KOs) at the Cardiff International Arena. ‘The Welsh Wizard’ captured the famous red and gold belt with a stunning one-punch knockout of Japan’s Kenichi Ogawa on a memorable night at the arena last June. Cordina was scheduled to make the first defence of his World Title against Rakhimov in Abu Dhabi last November but suffered a hand injury that required surgery and was subsequently stripped of his title by the IBF. Rakhimov won the vacant title by stopping Manchester’s Zelfa Barrett in nine rounds on the undercard of Dmitry Bivol vs. Gilberto Ramirez.

Saturday, May 20: Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2
Irish legend Katie Taylor (22-0, 6 KOs) fights in Ireland for the first time in her professional career, putting her Undisputed Lightweight World Title on the line once more against Puerto Rican star Amanda Serrano (44-2-1, 30 KOs) in an unmissable rematch. Taylor cemented herself as the greatest female fighter on the planet by edging out Serrano in an epic fight for the ages on an iconic night at a sold-out Madison Square Garden in New York last April. The global superstar retained her belts after a Fight of the Year contender with multi-division World Champion Serrano – the first women’s boxing bout to headline the famous MSG in its 140-year history, attracting an unprecedented audience of 1.5 million tuning in globally on DAZN.

Alongside this jampacked schedule of boxing, in the last 12 months DAZN has added 75 media properties to its UK offering, giving – in particular – combat sports fans access to the widest range of live and on demand content. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) partnered with DAZN to launch PFL Europe, the inaugural event will be held in Newcastle on 25 March and broadcast globally on DAZN.

In the UK DAZN is available as a Monthly Saver (x12) at £9.99, an Annual Super Saver priced at £99.99 and a Flexible Monthly Pass priced at £19.99.

How to watch DAZN

Watching on DAZN is simple and easy.
Go to the app store on your chosen device, search for and download the DAZN app.
Create an account, choose a plan and start watching anywhere – on your phone, tablet, smart TV and gaming consoles.
You can log in to multiple devices and enjoy top sporting content anywhere.
“What an incredible year Matchroom and DAZN have in store for fight fans around the world – and this is just the beginning,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “The UK’s biggest boxing star Anthony Joshua returns to our screens on April 1 as he looks to reclaim his spot as the number one Heavyweight on the plant. ‘AJ’ has reset and refocused and he is on a mission to defy his critics as he kicks off his exciting new partnership with DAZN. Modern legends Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano run it back for all of the marbles at Lightweight in what will be one of the most iconic sporting events that Ireland has ever seen on May 20 in Dublin. Their first meeting at MSG last year was one of the very best night’s I’ve experienced in boxing and the rematch promises to be even bigger and better.

“Callum Smith is within touching distance of a shot at unified Light-Heavyweight ruler Artur Beterbiev and can’t avoid any slip-ups against Pawel Stepien on his Liverpool homecoming on March 11 and boxing’s youngest World Champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez attempts to create even more history on April 8 when he goes for gold at 112lbs against Cristian Gonzalez. ‘The Welsh Wizard’ Joe Cordina attempts to recapture his IBF Super-Featherweight World Title against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in Cardiff on April 22 and the young guns are out to impress in our first NXTGEN event of the year in Newcastle on March 18 – not forgetting the small matter of Leigh Wood vs. Mauricio Lara in just under two weeks’ time in Nottingham. It is without a doubt the best schedule in boxing and there’s still so much more to come. Watch it all live on DAZN.”

“This is the most eagerly anticipated fight of Anthony Joshua’s career, and, at DAZN, we are delighted to deliver it to fans in the UK and around the world as part of their monthly subscription, making it the most accessible ‘AJ’ fight in a decade”, DAZN CEO Shay Segev said. “Beyond our unrivalled boxing schedule, we are committed to building our library of sports content the UK. Our tie-up with KSI’s Misfits to create X Series and joint venture with Professional Fighters League to launch PFL Europe are just two examples of what we will do to deliver top sports content to DAZN subscribers.”

“We have worked with Anthony Joshua for five years, and we are incredibly excited to be kicking off our new UK relationship with him on April 1,” said Joseph Markowski, CEO North America, DAZN Group. “Being ringside for Taylor vs. Serrano at a sold-out MSG was one of the great sporting moments of my life; what an incredible atmosphere and fight. Alongside this blockbuster, the schedule we have curated so far features some of our best talent, Jesse Rodriguez, Callum Smith and Joe Cordina. All live and exclusive on DAZN.”

“This is the start of a hugely important phase for ‘AJ’ and it is exciting to be kicking it off exclusively on DAZN and at The O2 in London, a place he has had many memorable nights,” said 258 Managing Director Freddie Cunningham.

About Matchroom Boxing
Matchroom Boxing is the world’s leading boxing promotional outfit putting on major stadium and arena shows across the globe. Headed up by boxing supremo Eddie Hearn, Matchroom has been among the world leaders in major boxing promotion and production for over a quarter of a century since its launch in 1987. With an unrivalled stable of world-class fighters, Matchroom’s unique expertise in promotion, staging and television productions cements its position as the No.1 promoter in the sport.

About DAZN Group
DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, JLeague, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.?DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.??

??DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialise, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.??

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles. ?DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including Playstation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and find the app on their iPhone, iPad, android and mobile.

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LIVE FIGHTS: Before The Bell: Serrano vs Cruz Live Undercard (Nicolson, Ali & More)




AUDIO: Amanda Serrano talks Erika Cruz Undisputed fight






VIDEO: Amanda Serrano talks Erika Cruz Undisputed fight




VIDEO: Amanda Serrano vs Erika Cruz PLUS Full Undercard Weigh-in




WEIGHTS, RUNNING ORDER AND IMAGES FOR SERRANO VS. CRUZ/BAUMGARDNER VS. MEKHALED

First bell at 4.30pm ET
 
8 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight contest
Aaron Aponte 138.6lbs vs. Joshua David Rivera 138.8lbs
(Hialeah Gardens, Florida)         (La Mesa, California)
 
Followed by
 
4 x 3 mins Lightweight contest
Harley Mederos 134.2lbs vs. Julio Madera 133.6lbs
(Brooklyn, New York)    (Mexico City, Mexico)
 
Followed by
 
10 x 2 mins WBC Silver and WBA Continental Super-Middleweight titles
Shadasia Green 167.2lbs           vs.        Elin Cederroos 167.4lbs
(Paterson, New Jersey)                          (Vasteraas, Sweden)
 
Followed by
 
10 x 2 mins IBF Intercontinental Super-Bantamweight title
Ramla Ali 121.4lbs vs. Avril Mathie 121.4lbs
(London, United Kingdom) (Sydney, Australia)
 
Followed by
 
10 x 2 mins WBC Silver Bantamweight title
Skye Nicolson 125.6lbs vs. Tania Alvarez 124.8lbs
(Yatala, Queensland, Australia)  (Barcelona, Spain)
 
LIVE ON DAZN FROM 8PM 
 
8 x 3 mins Flyweight contest
Yankiel Rivera 112.4lbs vs.        Fernando Diaz 111.8lbs
(Bayamon, Puerto Rico) (Riverside, California)
 
Followed by
 
10 x 3 mins IBF North American Super-Lightweight title
Richardson Hitchins 139.6lbs vs. John Bauza 139lbs
(Brooklyn, New York)    (North Bergen, New Jersey)
 
Followed by
 
10 x 2 mins Undisputed World Super-Featherweight championship
Alycia Baumgardner 129lbs vs. Elhem Mekhaled 129lbs
(Detroit, Michigan)        (Paris, France)
 
Followed by
 
10 x 2 mins Undisputed World Featherweight championship
Amanda Serrano 125.4lbs vs. Erika Cruz 125.4lbs
(Brooklyn, New York)    (Mexico City, Mexico)