Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced Friday its signing of another pound-for-pound women’s boxing champion: three-division world champion, reigning two-division world champion, and 2016 U.S. Olympian Mikaela Mayer.
Mayer (22-2, 5 KOs) is currently the unified WBA and WBC super welterweight world champion and the reigning WBO welterweight world champion, ranked in the top ten on every roster. She is among 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. Her timing comes as the company launches MVPW, its new global platform dedicated to women’s boxing.
Mayer becomes the latest Olympian to sign with MVP, joining Oshae Jones, Caroline Dubois, Tamm Thibeault, Ramla Ali, Jahmal Harvey, Nelvie Tiafack, and Keno Marley.
MVP Devotes Energy to Women’s Boxing
Mayer joins MVP at a pivotal moment as the company continues to expand its roster of elite female athletes. It represents more than 40 elite women’s fighters, 15 reigning women’s world champions, and 22 top female contenders. MVP has already promoted many of the most-watched, historic, and highest-grossing women’s boxing fights of all time.
The new MVPW venture with ESPN is positioned to 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.
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Mayer jumped out to a 17-0 record to begin her pro career, winning two 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 fought for the IBF welterweight world title against Natasha Jonas.
When a Jonas rematch didn’t 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 won the rematch against Ryan by unanimous decision.
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. Mayer was named the 2025 Female Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Mikaela Mayer: “Always Wanted The Biggest And Best Fights”
“I’m thrilled to join Most Valuable Promotions as we continue breaking barriers and elevating women’s boxing to new heights,” said 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.”
MVPW Joins Growth Wave In Women’s Sports
MVP is the global home of women’s boxing, elevating female fighters with the same platform and push as men’s boxing. With a 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. Sky Sports will broadcast the event live in the United Kingdom and it will stream 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 the 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).
MVP and ESPN 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.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist and the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). She is the Managing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.