NEW YORK, NY – May 28, 2026 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced MVPW-05, taking place live on ESPN and the ESPN App on Saturday, August 8 at Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The fifth installment of MVP’s new year-round global platform for women’s boxing, will be headlined by MVP’s and Australia’s undisputed bantamweight world champion Cherneka Johnson (19-2, 8 KOs) vs. MVP’s and Denmark’s former unified champion and Boxrec’s #2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world Dina Thorslund (24-0, 9 KOs) in a potential Fight of the Year contender. Then-WBA champion Johnson stepped in after Thorslund vacated her former unified WBC and WBO belts and withdrew from MVP’s Taylor vs. Serrano 3 in July 2025 due to pregnancy. She now has the opportunity to dethrone Johnson as undisputed world champion, and they will meet in the ring to settle the score in a 10-round championship bout at 118lbs. MVPW on ESPN showcases the sport’s most elite female fighters with championship bouts on every card and will always feature a main card composed entirely of female fighters, with an undercard including a mix of female and male bouts. Tickets for MVPW-05 go on sale Saturday, June 13 at 11am ET on Ticketmaster.com. All media wishing to be credentialed for MVPW-05 must apply HERE.
MVP’s reigning undisputed bantamweight world champion Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson was born in Tauranga, New Zealand. Fighting out of Gold Coast, Australia, Johnson is a two-weight world champion, currently the undisputed bantamweight world champion at 118lbs and the former IBF super bantamweight world champion. In March 2025, Johnson defeated then-champion Nina Hughes to claim the WBA bantamweight world title. In July 2025, Johnson, newly signed with MVP, made her promotional debut on the undercard of MVP’s historic Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano trilogy card, stepping into the ring against former IBF world champion Shurretta Metcalf in a 10-round undisputed world title showdown as part of the first-ever all-women’s professional boxing card at Madison Square Garden. Following a heated battle, Johnson won via 9th round TKO, becoming the first-ever undisputed Australian champion in the four belt era. The 30-year-old now defended her undisputed title for the first time on Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day in December 2025 in a bloody war against Canadian Amanda Galle.
“I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and for this fight to come together the way it has makes it even more exciting! Now is my time to show what I am truly capable of,” said Cherneka Johnson. “This is the fight I always knew would bring out the best version of me, and I plan to do exactly that — take my belts home, take her pound-for-pound ranking, and claim the bantamweight queen title.”
MVP’s undefeated Dina Thorslund (24-0, 9 KOs) is a two-division world champion, unified bantamweight world champion and Denmark’s most accomplished boxer, with a national record 12 straight world title fights. Thorslund held the unified WBC and WBO bantamweight titles until June 2025, when she became pregnant. Due to her pregnancy, Thorslund voluntarily relinquished her WBO Championship which was approved by the WBO and she requested and received the approval of the WBC to be designated as Champion in Recess. The then-vacant unified belts were won by Cherneka Johnson. Upon her return to the ring, Thorslund stepped up to 126lbs to defeat Almudena Alvarez, becoming the WBC Interim featherweight champion, however, she felt there was still unfinished business at bantamweight. She now looks to extend her dominance in what will be her 12th world championship bout. She is currently ranked the #2 pound-for-pound women’s boxer in the world by Boxrec—ahead of Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Claressa Shields, and others—and also holds the #7 spot on Ring Magazine’s list.
“I’ve been waiting for this fight since I had to give up my two world titles due to an unexpected pregnancy. Sadly, I lost the baby, and with that I not only lost the family I had dreamed of, but also the titles I gave up for it. That experience has given me an even stronger hunger to come back and reclaim everything that was once mine,” said Dina Thorslund. “Cherneka Johnson needs to be at her absolute best against me, because I’m returning with a level of motivation I’ve never had before. And let’s not forget one important thing — I’m the only undefeated fighter between the two of us, and I still will be after this fight.”
“MVPW-05 features the latest superfight from MVP, uniting two of the best women’s boxers in the world, both of whom feel the 118lbs world titles are rightfully theirs,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “Dina Thorslund is the #2 P4P in the world and has been waiting patiently for this opportunity since vacating her titles, and after just one fight back is an interim world champion again as she continues to define excellence in European boxing. Neekz delivered back-to-back statement performances in 2025 to become the first-ever undisputed champion in Australian boxing history in the four-belt era, male or female, and then reinforced her dominance with a commanding first successful title defense. Johnson vs. Thorslund is unequivocally a Fight of the Year contender from Caribe Royale Resort on Saturday, August 8, live on ESPN.”
“Caribe Royale is pleased to welcome back MVP and MVPW to Central Florida. We are proud to bring MVPW and ESPN to Caribe Royale as they lead a new revolution in women’s boxing,” said Amaury Piedra, President of Boxlab Promotions and Managing Director of the Caribe Royale Resort. “Both our guests and locals alike are in store for a night of fireworks with multiple titles on the line. This event is just another example of our commitment to bringing world class entertainment and events to both our local residents and out of town visitors as well and who better to do it with than Jake, Nakisa, and the MVP team.”
MVPW-05 is produced and marketed by MVP and promoted by MVP and Boxlab Promotions.
For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions, on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions.
About MVP
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) was founded in August 2021 by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian with a fighter first ethos. Since inception, MVP has produced 30 live boxing events, currently promotes nearly 60 fighters, 16 world champions, and 26 top contenders.
MVP has led boxing’s evolution in the streaming era through partnerships with the world’s leading platforms. In November 2024, MVP’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2 was the first-ever live professional sports event streamed on Netflix. Paul vs. Tyson shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event of all time with 125 million live viewers worldwide. MVP went on to partner with Netflix twice in 2025 for MVP’s Taylor vs. Serrano 3 and Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day.
Today, MVP is the global home of women’s boxing. MVP’s Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano in 2022 was the first female fight to headline Madison Square Garden, while Taylor vs. Serrano 2 in 2024 saw 74 million viewers globally on Netflix and became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in US history with 47 million AMA in the US. Their 2025 trilogy on Netflix topped an all-women’s megacard that set the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card, male or female, with 17 world titles, earning nearly 6 million viewers globally.
About ESPN
ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans on the ESPN App, providing more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, including more than 47,000 live events per year, on-demand replays, industry-leading studio shows and original programming, and more. The ESPN App gives fans a unique viewing experience that includes multiview and synchronized two-screen viewing options, swipe-able vertical video and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as integrated game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, betting odds and information from DraftKings, sports merchandise, and more. These features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a limited time offer for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. For more visit stream.espn.com.
