Press Release: March 14, 2026 (Originally released March 13, 2026 By Most Valuable Promotions - NEW YORK, NY – March 13, 2026 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced the signing of three-division world champion, reigning two-division world champion, and 2016 U.S. Olympian Mikaela Mayer (22-2, 5 KOs). Mayer, currently the unified WBA and WBC super welterweight world champion at 154lbs and the reigning WBO welterweight world champion at 147lbs is Ring Magazine’s #3, ESPN’s #6, and Boxrec’s #10 pound-for-pound talent globally and one of the most accomplished and respected fighters in women’s boxing. Mayer’s signing represents another major addition to MVP’s rapidly expanding roster of elite female fighters and comes as the company launches MVPW, its new global platform dedicated to women’s boxing. Mayer also becomes the latest Olympian to sign with MVP, joining Oshae Jones, Caroline Dubois, Tamm Thibeault, Ramla Ali, Jahmal Harvey, Nelvie Tiafack, and Keno Marley.
Mayer joins MVP at a pivotal moment as the company continues to expand its roster of elite female athletes, representing more than 40 elite women’s fighters, 15 reigning women’s world champions, and 22 top female contenders, and promoted many of the most-watched, historic, and highest-grossing women’s boxing fights of all time. MVPW will deliver a year-round schedule of the best fighting the best with ESPN as the U.S. home of MVPW events through 2028, combining linear broadcast and streaming distribution.
Reigning unified WBA and WBC super welterweight world champion at 154lbs and the reigning WBO welterweight world champion at 147lbs Mayer, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, jumped out to a 17-0 record to begin her pro career while winning a pair of junior lightweight world titles and becoming a pound-for-pound mainstay. Mayer lost her perfect record in a debated 2022 split decision loss to Alycia Baumgardner in a bid for the undisputed junior lightweight title. In January 2024, she contended for the IBF welterweight world title against Natasha Jonas. While a Jonas rematch did not materialize, Mayer seized her second opportunity to become a two-weight world champion. In September 2024, she defeated WBO welterweight world champion Sandy Ryan by majority decision in a Fight of the Year contender. Six months later, Mayer bested Ryan by unanimous decision in Las Vegas, putting an exclamation point on their fierce 20-round rivalry. Mayer conquered a third weight class in October 2025, dominating Canadian star Mary Spencer over 10 rounds in Montreal to capture the WBA, WBC, and WBO junior middleweight titles. She is currently ranked Ring Magazine’s #3, ESPN’s #6 and Boxrec’s #10 pound-for-pound talent globally.
“I’m thrilled to join Most Valuable Promotions as we continue breaking barriers and elevating women’s boxing to new heights,” said Mikaela Mayer. “I’ve always wanted the biggest and best fights, and MVP’s premier roster of women champions creates incredible opportunities to make those matchups happen. I’m looking forward to showcasing my skills on some of the biggest platforms in the sport and working with a passionate, innovative team that believes in the continued growth of women’s boxing.”
“Mikaela is one of the most accomplished fighters in women’s boxing and a proven champion across multiple weight classes,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “She has competed on the sport’s biggest stages, faced the best fighters in the world, and continues to push the sport forward. We’re proud to welcome Mikaela to MVP and look forward to building the next chapter of her career together.”
MVP is the global home of women’s boxing, elevating female fighters with the same platform and push as men’s boxing. With the gold “W” embedded directly within the MVP logo, MVPW signals that women’s boxing is a foundational pillar of the company’s long-term global strategy. Each event will be sequentially branded beginning with MVPW-01, establishing a clear, year-round schedule showcasing the sport’s most elite female fighters. The MVPW platform debuts with MVPW-01 on Sunday, April 5, in London, where Sky Sports will broadcast the event live in the United Kingdom and streaming live in the U.S. on the ESPN App as the first event under the new agreement. The platform makes its U.S. linear premiere on Friday, April 17 with MVPW-02, headlined by MVP’s unified super featherweight world champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (17-1, 7 KOs) vs. top contender Bo Mi Re Shin (19-3-3, 10 KOs) at Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. MVPW-03 will take place Saturday, May 30, in El Paso, Texas, headlined by MVP’s WBA lightweight world champion Stephanie Han (12-0, 3 KOs) vs. the most decorated two-sport athlete in combat sports history, Holly Holm (34-3-3, 9 KOs). The deal will deliver a mix of linear and streaming distribution, with the majority of events airing on ESPN’s linear channels, a significant milestone for women’s boxing and female sports. Mayer is anticipated to make her MVPW debut in the coming months.
For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @MikaelaMayer1 or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @mikaelamayer.
About Most Valuable Promotions (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 and currently promotes nearly 60 fighters, 18 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.
Material Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions/ Photo Courtesy of: Harry Aaron/Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.
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