{"id":28517,"date":"2025-09-23T16:37:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T14:37:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/?p=28517"},"modified":"2025-09-23T16:37:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T14:37:41","slug":"mvps-jake-vs-tank-undercard-bouts-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/mvps-jake-vs-tank-undercard-bouts-announced\/","title":{"rendered":"MVP&#8217;s Jake vs Tank Undercard Bouts Announced"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>Baumgardner vacates WBC belt and will defend unified IBF, WBO, and WBA titles under equal rules to men\u2019s champions with 12, three-minute rounds against Beaudoin<\/li>\n<li>PBC\u2019s World champion Gary Russell makes title defense vs. Andy Hiraoka on main card<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"\" class=\"aalmanual\" href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/directory\/a\/most-valuable-promotions-mvp\/\">MVP<\/a>\u2019s unified world champion Ellie Scotney becomes youngest UK boxer in history to fight for undisputed world title vs. WBA champion Mayelli Flores in preliminary card headliner<\/li>\n<li>MVP\u2019s world champion Yokasta Valle vs. Yadira Bustillos and MVP\u2019s Avious Griffin vs. Cesar Francis join preliminary card<\/li>\n<li>Presale for Jake vs. Tank begins today at 10am ET. Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, September 24 at 12pm ET on Ticketmaster.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a title=\"\" class=\"aalmanual\" href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/directory\/a\/most-valuable-promotions-mvp\/\">Most Valuable Promotions<\/a> (MVP) and Netflix today announced that MVP\u2019s undisputed super featherweight world champion Alycia \u201cThe Bomb\u201d Baumgardner (16-1, 7 KOs) will make a unified WBA, WBO, and IBF world title defense at 130lbs against Canada\u2019s #2 IBF, #3 WBO and WBA contender Leila Beaudoin (13-1, 2 KOs). Baumgardner vs. Beaudoin will be contested over 12, three-minute rounds, equal to the men\u2019s championship standard, in the co-main event of Jake vs. Tank on Friday, November 14 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, and will air live globally, only on Netflix at no additional cost to its 300+ million members. Baumgardner has chosen to vacate her WBC belt as the sanctioning body does not recognize women\u2019s choice to compete under equal rules to men\u2019s champions at 12&#215;3:00. Joining the main card is PBC\u2019s WBA super lightweight world champion Gary \u201cThe Last\u201d Russell (18-1, 17 KOs) vs. WBA #1 contender, Japan\u2019s undefeated Andy \u201cDa Blade\u201d Hiraoka (24-0, 19 KOs) in a 12-round men\u2019s championship bout at 140lbs.<\/p>\n<p>In a historic preliminary card headliner, MVP and England\u2019s unified super bantamweight world champion Ellie Scotney (11-0) will become the youngest UK boxer ever to fight for an undisputed world title\u2014male or female\u2014in a 10-round women\u2019s championship bout vs. Mexico\u2019s WBA world champion Mayelli Flores (13-1-1, 4 KOs) contested at 122lbs. Joining Scotney vs. Flores will be MVP\u2019s Costa Rican star Yokasta Valle (33-3, 10 KOs) set to defend her WBC strawweight world title vs. Yadira \u201cLa Reina\u201d Bustillos (11-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round women\u2019s championship bout at 105lbs. Also on the card, MVP\u2019s top contender Avious \u201cTha Underdog\u201d Griffin (17-1, 16 KOs) will face Cesar \u201cRainman\u201d Francis (14-2, 9 KOs) over 8 rounds at 147lbs in the welterweight division.<\/p>\n<p>MVP\u2019s reigning undisputed super featherweight world champion Alycia \u201cThe Bomb\u201d Baumgardner was born in Fremont, Ohio. The German, Korean, and African-American fighter turned pro in 2017, and in November 2021, shocked the boxing world by knocking out Terri Harper to claim the WBC and IBO World Titles. She secured wins over Edith Matthysse and Mikaela Mayer in 2022, adding the WBO and IBF belts to her collection. In February 2023, she defeated Elhem Mekhaled to claim the WBA title and become undisputed champion. In July 2023, Baumgardner avenged her only career loss with a dominant undisputed title defense against Christina Linardatou. Most recently, she successfully defended her undisputed title against Spain\u2019s Jennifer Miranda in the co-main event of Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3, live on Netflix. Baumgardner is currently ranked ESPN\u2019s #7 and BoxRec\u2019s #10 pound-for-pound boxer in the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am very thankful to be getting back in the ring on Friday, November 14, fighting in front of the world on Netflix,\u201d said Alycia Baumgardner. \u201cConsistency is what keeps me sharp and makes me dangerous. Fighting 12&#215;3:00 represents equality. Equality in boxing means giving champions a platform to show their greatness. I am here to show the world that I am built for any and everything. AND STILL!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On vacating her WBC belt, Baumgardner added, \u201cI have and will always believe that my responsibility as a champion is to push the sport forward. Women in boxing deserve equal opportunities, respect, and rules as men.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike Amanda Serrano and many other great champions before me, I believe women should have the choice to compete under the same rules as men, 12 rounds, three minutes per round. I have chosen to move forward in my career under those terms. My next championship fight will take place under those rules, and since the WBC does not currently allow women to fight under those terms, I\u2019ve made the difficult decision to vacate my WBC title.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI respect the WBC and want to thank the WBC for all the support they\u2019ve given me throughout my career. Becoming their champion was a career defining honor, and I look forward to and plan to one day fight for a WBC belt again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor now, I am focused on continuing to break barriers for women\u2019s boxing and showing the world that we are every bit as capable as the men when we step through those ropes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A natural-born athlete with unstoppable drive, Leila Beaudoin laced up her gloves for the first time at 18 and never looked back. After just five years in the amateur ranks, she stormed to national championship gold and turned pro in 2019. Fast forward to today: with a near-flawless record of 13 wins in 14 fights\u2014her lone loss avenged in dominant fashion\u2014she now holds the WBO International Super Featherweight title. In her first title defense this past June, she made a statement loud and clear, dropping and dismantling former world champion Elhem Mekhaled in just six rounds, proving that she\u2019s not only ready for the top\u2014She\u2019s here to take it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;She had a good run, but Alycia Baumgardner\u2019s reign ends Friday, November 14,\u201d said Leila Beaudoin. \u201cEvery great story needs a turning point\u2014this is mine.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Gary Antuanne Russell, the youngest of the fighting Russell brothers from Capitol Heights, Maryland, has carved his own path in boxing while drawing from the legacy of his family. Nicknamed \u201cThe Last,\u201d the 29-year-old reigning WBA super lightweight world champion grew up under the tutelage of his father, Gary Sr. and alongside his brothers, including former WBC champion Gary Russell Jr. As an amateur, he won National Golden Gloves titles before representing the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Russell then transitioned to the pro ranks, building his reputation with an aggressive southpaw style and a string of first-round stoppages. Russell has earned notable wins over Viktor Postol, Rances Barthelemy, and Kent Cruz, while rebounding from a narrow split-decision loss to Alberto Puello in 2024. In March 2025, he dominated Jose Valenzuela to capture the WBA 140lb world title with a performance that underlined his potential to become the most accomplished of the Russell dynasty.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m excited to be on an event of this magnitude and put the Russell family legacy on display live on Netflix,\u201d said Gary Russell. \u201cHiraoka is my mandatory challenger and a strong fighter. We will prepare as we always do and handle business. I will be king of division for a long time and defending my title will be the first step towards it!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andy Hiraoka is an undefeated super lightweight contender from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The 29-year-old Hiraoka began boxing as a teenager under the guidance of his father, an American military veteran, and turned professional in December 2013 at just 17 years old. He quickly climbed Japan\u2019s ranks, winning the Japanese national and WBO Asia Pacific super lightweight titles. Hiraoka gained international recognition with his U.S. debut in 2019, where he secured a TKO win over Rogelio Casarez. Since then, he has retained his unblemished record with a nearly 80% stoppage rate, establishing himself as one of Japan\u2019s brightest hopes for world championship glory and a serious force in the global super lightweight division. He is currently the #1 WBA contender at 140lbs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecoming world champion has been my mission since day one, and on Friday, November 14, live on Netflix, I will make that dream a reality,\u201d said Andy Hiraoka. \u201cGary Russell is a great champion, but I am coming to Miami to win his belt and become Japan\u2019s next world champion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>MVP\u2019s unified super bantamweight world champion Ellie Scotney will become the youngest UK boxer in history, male or female, to fight for the undisputed crown on Friday, November 14. The Catford, England native made her pro debut in 2020. In her seventh pro fight, Scotney dethroned former 122lb champion Cherneka Johnson by UD to become the new IBF world champion. Scotney successfully defended her IBF belt against Laura Griffa in September 2023 before unifying the division and adding the WBO and Ring Magazine titles to her collection in a UD win over then-undefeated 18-0 champion Segolene Lefebvre. The 27-year-old most recently faced the longest-standing division champion, former WBC titlist Yamileth Mercado on the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 all-women\u2019s card live on Netflix, winning by UD and adding the WBC belt to her unified collection. Scotney is ranked Boxrec\u2019s #9, ESPN\u2019s #10, and Ring Magazine\u2019s #10 pound-for-pound boxer, as well as ESPN\u2019s #1 super bantamweight in the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBelt by belt, I\u2019ve earned this the hard way,\u201d said Ellie Scotney. \u201cUndisputed has always been the goal, and now thanks to MVP we\u2019re on the final and most important step. On Friday November 14th I\u2019ll make history as Britain&#8217;s next Undisputed World Champion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mayelli Flores is the reigning WBA super bantamweight world champion from Mexico City, Mexico. Standing at 4\u201911\u201d, Flores turned professional in 2014 and has built a reputation for high pressure and punch volume inside the ring. After an early career highlighted a narrow world title challenge against Yulihan Luna, Flores defeated Nazarena Romero by split decision in Kissimmee, Florida, to capture the WBA 122lb crown in May 2025. Known for her toughness, stamina, and willingness to trade in the pocket, the 33-year-old Flores represents Mexico with pride as she continues her rise among the sport\u2019s elite.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would like to thank God, MVP and my team for this incredible opportunity. When I was offered the fight against Ellie Scotney, without hesitation I said yes,\u201d said Mayelli Flores. \u201cI will be ready for a war. Ellie Scotney is a great and tough fighter, but I am up for the challenge. I know the importance of this fight\u2014a win over Scotney will put me in the history books as Mexico\u2019s first undisputed female fighter, and I am ready to make history. I dedicate this fight to my family and all the boxing fans that will be watching on Netflix.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yokasta Valle is a three-division world champion boxer born in Nicaragua and raised in Costa Rica. Growing up with limited resources and countless challenges in San Jose, Yokasta learned early on that nothing is given, and everything is earned. In a sport historically dominated by men, she carved her own path and fought to open doors for women in boxing. She won her first world title in 2016 and has gone on to conquer six world titles across three weight divisions, establishing herself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. She currently has held the WBC minimumweight title at 105lbs since November 2024. Valle has also championed equal pay in women\u2019s boxing, fighting for and achieving the same purse conditions as male boxers. Outside the ring, the 32-year-old is an entrepreneur, boxing promoter, and social role model. In 2023, she was recognized by the United Nations as their Costa Rica Champion for the example she set in the fight for women&#8217;s and migrants\u2019 rights. Valle is currently BoxRec\u2019s #5, Ring Magazine\u2019s #8, and ESPN\u2019s #9-ranked pound-for-pound boxer in the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis will be my first WBC world title defense, and doing it on MVP\u2019s debut card with Jake Paul makes it even more special,\u201d said Yokasta Valle. \u201cI\u2019ve worked my whole life for these moments, and I know what it takes to stay at the top. My opponent Yadira Bustillos is tough and hungry, but I\u2019ve never backed down from a challenge. I fight with discipline, with heart, and with the pride of Costa Rica on my shoulders. The landscape of women\u2019s boxing is opening up, and there are many great possible opponents ahead, but before any of that, I need to win this fight convincingly. On fight night, the world will see why I\u2019m not just a champion\u2014I\u2019m here to inspire and to keep breaking barriers for women in boxing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yadira Bustillos, from Las Vegas, Nevada, is of Mexican descent with roots in Durango. She was introduced to boxing through her uncle and brother before beginning training under coach Gil Martinez. What started as curiosity quickly became passion, as Bustillos pushed herself to keep up with male sparring partners and prove her toughness in the gym. Her amateur career was highlighted by accolades including back-to-back Roy Jones Jr. National Invitational titles, Nevada Golden Gloves gold, and a third-place finish at the 2019 Olympic qualifiers, where she was ranked #6 nationally. She made her pro debut in 2021 and contended for the WBC 105lb interim world title in just her eighth pro fight. Competing across the 105, 108, and 112lb divisions, Bustillos aims to become undisputed champion across multiple weight classes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an honor and a dream come true to fight for this title,\u201d said Yadira Bustillos. \u201cThe WBC belt represents the peak of the sport, and I respect my opponent, but I\u2019m ready for this. I\u2019m not here to compete. I\u2019m here to conquer!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>MVP\u2019s Avious Griffin has quickly emerged as a force in the 147lb division. With a staggering 94% stoppage rate, the Las Vegas-based fighter from Chattanooga, Tennessee was introduced to boxing at age eight by his father, Alvin and the sport became both powerful passion and bond between them. Just weeks before Griffin\u2019s pro debut in 2016, Alvin passed away unexpectedly from a brain hemorrhage as Griffin frantically rushed his dad to the hospital\u2014a devastating loss that he continues to honor through his career. The following year brought another life-altering setback: a wrongful murder conviction that led to 11 months of incarceration before his exoneration. These hardships forged Griffin\u2019s \u201cTTD\u201d (To The Death) mentality\u2014an ethos that powers his ring performances and his commitment to breaking generational cycles of poverty, while advocating for mental health and addiction recovery. He trains under Brian \u201cBoMac\u201d McIntyre, widely recognized for guiding Terence Crawford\u2019s championship rise, Esau Di\u00e9guez, and renowned S&amp;C coach Larry Wade. The elite team has helped transform Griffin into one of the sport\u2019s most dangerous and disciplined rising contenders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks to MVP, the best promotional company in the business, we\u2019re back on stage Friday, November 14, said Avious Griffin. \u201cSee y\u2019all soon.. it\u2019s the kid that did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rising contender Cesar Francis fights out of West New York, New Jersey. Born in Panama City, Panama, the 35-year-old rising contender made his pro debut in 2017 and has contested for multiple regional titles to date, including the vacant WBO NABO super lightweight title in 2022 and the vacant WBO Latino super lightweight title in 2023. Francis most recently continued his rise in the division with a second round TKO of Wayne Boudreaux in September 2025.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a fight I\u2019m excited to win,\u201d said Cesar Francis. \u201cI know I\u2019m levels above this guy, and I\u2019m going to show it and show why I can fight for a welterweight title in the next 12 months.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJake vs. Tank marks a historic night for boxing on a card stacked with champions,\u201d said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder and CEO of <a title=\"\" class=\"aalmanual\" href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/directory\/a\/most-valuable-promotions-mvp\/\">Most Valuable Promotions<\/a>. \u201cMVP\u2019s undisputed champ Alycia Baumgardner joins Amanda Serrano as the only champions to defend their unified titles under the same rules as men\u2019s champions with 12, three-minute rounds in a massive statement for equality in women\u2019s boxing. Equality live globally on Netflix! Ellie Scotney is making history at just 27 years old as the youngest UK boxer ever to fight for undisputed, after an unstoppable rise that\u2019s already established her as one of the sport\u2019s pound-for-pound elites. Add in title defenses from Gary Antuanne Russell and Yokasta Valle against hungry challengers, and Avious Griffin fighting to reclaim his place among the top contenders at 147, and you have boxing at its best with fighters taking risks, chasing greatness, and making history together on one card. On Friday, November 14 at the Kesaya Center, live only on Netflix, we\u2019re delivering a night fans will be talking about for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jake vs. Tank is the culmination of four years of callouts and a brewing rivalry between Paul, the sport\u2019s most-watched fighter whose showmanship has redefined boxing promotion, and Davis, one of the most feared punchers in the world and widely regarded as the Mike Tyson of his generation. Paul and Davis, the favorite boxers of Gen Alpha and Gen Z, respectively, have both battled to claim the title of modern boxing\u2019s biggest star, setting the stage for this monumental showdown. Paul enters the bout almost exactly one year after headlining the largest boxing or MMA event in over four decades, while Davis holds the record for the highest pay-per-view buys and revenue event of the past four years. Jake vs. Tank, an MVP event, marks MVP\u2019s third live event on Netflix in 12 months, following Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 in July 2025, the first all-women\u2019s professional sporting event on the service. Tickets for Jake vs. Tank will go on sale next month at Ticketmaster.com. Fans can sign up for pre-sale at JakevsTank.com. The bout will also feature an array of high-end VIP packages, including the return of the one-of-a-kind MVP Owner\u2019s Experience.<\/p>\n<p>Additional information, including additional undercards bouts, will be announced in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @Netflix, on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @Netflix, or on Netflix\u2019s Tudum.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About Alycia Baumgardner<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MVP\u2019s reigning undisputed super featherweight world champion Alycia \u201cThe Bomb\u201d Baumgardner is one of the most electrifying superstars in boxing today and one of the most dominant athletes in the sport. Born in Fremont, Ohio, and of German, Korean, and African-American descent, she has built a career defined by power, precision, and resilience. Her success is fueled not only by her relentless work ethic but also by her deep faith, which guides her journey both in and out of the ring. Baumgardner turned pro in 2017, making an immediate impact with a first-round TKO victory. In November 2021, she shocked the boxing world by knocking out Terri Harper in Sheffield, England, to claim the WBC and IBO World Titles. She continued her rise, securing wins over Edith Matthysse and Mikaela Mayer in October 2022, adding the WBO and IBF belts to her collection. In February 2023, she became undisputed, defeating Elhem Mekhaled in New York to claim the WBA title. In July 2023, Baumgardner avenged her only career loss with a dominant win over Christina Linardatou in Detroit, successfully defending her undisputed crown. She returned in September 2024 against Delfine Persoon, scoring an early knockdown before an accidental clash of heads led to a no-contest ruling. Most recently, she successfully defended her undisputed title against Spain\u2019s Jennifer Miranda in the co-main event of Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3, live on Netflix. Outside the ring, Baumgardner is breaking barriers for women, proving that skill, strength, and marketability can coexist at the highest level. Her faith remains at the center of everything she does, keeping her grounded and focused on the bigger picture. With an unshakable mindset and a purpose greater than herself, she continues to push the sport forward, building a legacy that extends far beyond the championship belts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About Ellie Scotney<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MVP\u2019s unified super bantamweight world champion Ellie Scotney will become the youngest UK boxer in history, male or female, to fight for undisputed world title honors on Friday, November 14. Scotney\u2019s shining amateur stint saw the London prospect win the 2017 Elite national amateur title and the English Youth title \u2013 having entered after only four amateur bouts. Scotney was in serious contention for a Great Britain Olympic qualifying place for Tokyo 2020 before deciding to leave the program to pursue her pro career. The Catford, England native made her pro debut in 2020 with a decision win over Bec Connolly before winning her first fight out of Shane McGuigan&#8217;s gym in October 2021, beating Eva Cantos 79-73 at the O2 Arena. Continuing her rise, she went on to defeat the defending European super bantamweight champion Mary Romero in just her sixth pro fight on the undercard of Katie Taylor-Helen Carabajal a year later. In her next fight, Scotney earned her first shot at world title honors, contesting Cherneka Johnson for the IBF world super bantamweight title at Wembley Arena. The bout was initially planned for the Katie Taylor-Chantelle Cameron undercard in early 2023, but was postponed until June 2023. Scotney displayed a career-best performance that night, dethroning Johnson by unanimous decision to become the new IBF world champion at 122lbs. Scotney successfully defended her IBF world title against Spain&#8217;s Laura Griffa in September 2023 before unifying the division and adding the WBO and Ring Magazine titles to her collection in a UD win over then-undefeated 18-0 WBO champion Segolene Lefebvre. Scotney then eased to a UD victory over then 20-0 Mea Motu in January 2025 to add the New Zealand fighter\u2019s IBO hardware to her WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine titles. The 27-year-old most recently faced the longest-standing champion, then-WBC titlist Yamileth Mercado on the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 all-women\u2019s card live on Netflix, again handily defeating Mercado and adding the WBC belt to her unified collection. Scotney is currently Boxrec\u2019s #9 pound-for-pound fighter, ESPN\u2019s #10 pound-for-pound fighter, and ESPN\u2019s #1 super bantamweight in the world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About Yokasta Valle<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yokasta Valle is a three-division world champion boxer born in Nicaragua and raised in Costa Rica. At a young age, her family made the life changing decision to move to Costa Rica in search of a better future. In the heart of San Jos\u00e9, Yokasta developed both as a person and as an athlete, forging the values that would define her: discipline, resilience, and an unbreakable will. Growing up with limited resources and countless challenges, Yokasta learned early on that nothing is given, and everything is earned. In a sport historically dominated by men, she carved her own path and fought not only for her own dreams, but to open doors for women in boxing. Before turning professional, Yokasta had a decorated amateur career, earning two Central American championship titles. As a professional, she won her first world title in 2016 and has gone on to conquer six world titles across three weight divisions (102, 105, and 108 lbs), establishing herself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, currently holding the WBC minimumweight title at 105lbs since November 2024. Her reign has been marked by consistency, dominance, and fearlessness, often defeating world champions in their own countries that mark her resume with international fights and global exposure. Throughout this time, Valle has also championed equal pay in women\u2019s boxing, fighting for and achieving the same purse conditions as male boxers in similar positions. Outside the ring, the 32-year-old is an entrepreneur, boxing promoter, and social role model. She is the first world champion in Central America to run her own promotional company, Yoka Sports &amp; Boxing Promotions, where she creates opportunities for the next generation of fighters, especially women. She is also the face of leading brands like Vaseline, Kolbi, Grupo Mutual, Dexketo, and Chery, and is celebrated as a national sports ambassador in Costa Rica not only for her achievements, but for living a life that exemplifies hard work, consistency, and humility. In 2023, she was recognized by the United Nations as their Costa Rica Champion for the example she set in the fight for women&#8217;s rights and migrants\u2019 rights, continuing to prove her relentless spirit both inside and beyond the ropes. On a personal level, she remains grounded and deeply connected to her family, especially her younger sister Naomy Valle, a rising professional boxer and fellow signee to MVP.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About Avious Griffin<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MVP\u2019s Avious Griffin has quickly emerged as a force in the 147lb division. With a staggering 94% stoppage rate, the Las Vegas-based fighter originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, continues to prove why he&#8217;s one of the most dangerous and exciting welterweights in the sport today. Since early 2024, Griffin has trained under the esteemed Brian \u201cBoMac\u201d McIntyre, widely recognized for guiding Terence Crawford\u2019s rise to championship status. He also works closely with Esau Di\u00e9guez and renowned strength and conditioning coach Larry Wade, who joined his team in October 2023. Together, this elite team has helped transform Griffin into one of the sport\u2019s most dangerous and disciplined rising contenders. On February 20, 2025, Griffin captured the vacant WBC USA Welterweight Title by stopping Jose Luis Sanchez in the eighth round at Sony Hall in New York City. Griffin\u2019s rise has been shaped by extraordinary personal resilience. Introduced to boxing at age eight by his father, Alvin, the sport quickly became both a passion and a powerful bond between them. In 2016, just weeks before Griffin\u2019s professional debut, Alvin passed away unexpectedly from a brain hemorrhage as Avious frantically rushed his dad to the hospital\u2014a devastating loss that Griffin continues to honor through his career. The following year brought another life-altering setback: a wrongful murder conviction that led to 11 months of incarceration before his exoneration. These hardships forged Griffin\u2019s \u201cTTD\u201d (To The Death) mentality\u2014an ethos that powers his performance in the ring and his commitment to breaking generational cycles of poverty, while advocating for mental health and addiction recovery. With a compelling personal story and elite performance inside the ropes, Avious Griffin represents one of the most promising new faces in professional boxing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About MVP<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MVP 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\u2019s last seven global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Chavez Jr. 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. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP\u2019s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About Netflix<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Netflix is one of the world&#8217;s leading entertainment services, with over 300 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. Jake vs. Tank will be the latest large scale live event to air on Netflix, following the super middleweight championship fight between Canelo \u00c1lvarez and Terence Crawford and the Six Kings Slam tennis tournament. WWE Raw continues to air every week globally. After the Jake vs. Tank fight, NFL Christmas Gameday returns to Netflix with two matchups on Christmas Day: the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About Kaseya Center<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Located in the center of booming downtown Miami and the Entertainment District, Kaseya Center\u2014home of the NBA Champion Miami HEAT\u2014hosts 80+ non-basketball events each year including A-list concerts, family shows, sporting events, national conferences and more. Built with state-of-the-art sound and lighting and HD and electronic media signage inside and out, the impressive 19,600-seat Kaseya Center is currently ranked the #1 arena in Florida for the 10th consecutive year\u2014and the 13th time during the past 14 years\u2014according to Billboard\u2019s 2024 year-end rankings. Kaseya Center is also among the leading facilities in the country for hosting Latin entertainment. The Center has led the renaissance of downtown Miami over the past two decades, helping to transform the area into a thriving arts and entertainment district. The facility has hosted more than 1,200 events including diverse musical superstars such as Marc Anthony, Celine Dion, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, The Killers, Bad Bunny, Carrie Underwood, Dua Lipa, Tool, Imagine Dragons, Kane Brown, Karol G, Drake, Andrea Bocelli and Paul McCartney, just to name a few. In 2009, Kaseya Center became among the first existing buildings in the country to have achieved LEED certification by the United States Green Building Council for its commitment to sustainability practices. More recently, in 2021, the Arena achieved its second LEED gold recertification. For more information about Kaseya Center, visit kaseyacenter.com.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Press Contact<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MVP PR<\/p>\n<p>Michael Goldberg: michaelpr@mostvaluablepromotions.com<\/p>\n<p>Liz Keller: liz@mostvaluablepromotions.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Baumgardner vacates WBC belt and will defend unified IBF, WBO, and WBA titles under equal rules to men\u2019s champions with 12, three-minute rounds against Beaudoin PBC\u2019s World champion Gary Russell makes title defense vs. Andy Hiraoka on main card MVP\u2019s unified world champion Ellie Scotney becomes youngest UK boxer in history to fight for undisputed &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3409,"featured_media":15,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15],"tags":[20],"class_list":["post-28517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-united-kingdom","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/cropped-MyPR_Logo_Square.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3409"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28517"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28517\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28518,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28517\/revisions\/28518"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}