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Alycia Baumgardner Moves to 135 to Challenge Elif Nur Turhan at MVPW-07 in Texas

Alycia Baumgardner Moves to 135 to Challenge Elif Nur Turhan at MVPW-07 in Texas

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – August 25, 2026 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced MVPW-07, a championship supercard with a quadruple world championship event at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, November 8, live on ESPN and the ESPN App, headlined by MVP and Dallas, Texas’ unified super featherweight world champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (18-1, 7 KOs), who will step up to 135lbs seeking to become a two-division world champion when she challenges MVP’s newest signee, Turkey’s undefeated IBF lightweight world champion, the “Golden Turkish Warrior” Elif Nur Turhan (14-0, 8 KOs), in a 10-round championship bout with three-minute rounds for the IBF lightweight world title. Baumgardner enters the matchup following a dominant run as unified champion at super featherweight and now takes on one of the most dangerous punchers in women’s boxing in Turhan, who claimed the IBF lightweight world title with a stunning TKO victory over previously unbeaten Brazilian Olympic gold medalist Beatriz Ferreira and enters her third world title defense. 

MVPW on ESPN showcases the sport’s most elite 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. The Arlington Sports Commission will serve as Host Partner for the event. Fans can sign up for MVPW-07 Presale HERE. Tickets will go on sale Thursday, September 10 at 11am ET / 10am CT at AXS.com. All media interested in being credentialed for MVPW-07 must apply HERE.

Elif Nur Turhan said: “Alycia is a boxer who steps into the ring determined to win, never even entertaining the possibility of defeat; I know I am proud to be representing Turkiye on such a major international stage as I face an opponent who steps into the ring solely for victory. I do not want to lose, either. As two boxers sharing a ‘win at all costs’ mentality, we guarantee a fierce, relentless battle where everything is left on the line. Two warriors, one fight, and only one winner.”

Alycia Baumgardner said: “When I set my mind to something, I see it through, and 135 will be no different. Sunday, November 8 is a superfight—the kind of fight boxing deserves—and the beginning of my next chapter. I know what it takes to become undisputed. I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again. To everyone in Dallas-Fort Worth and Arlington, this is my backyard, and I want you there with me. Come out to College Park Center, be part of the moment, and watch me make history.”

In the co-main event, MVP’s and Ft. Myers, Florida’s reigning WBC featherweight world champion Tiara Brown (21-0, 11 KOs) will make a 10-round defense at 126lbs against MVP’s and Catford, London, England’s former undisputed champion Ellie Scotney (12-0), who steps up to 126lbs seeking to become a two-division world champion. Turhan and Baumgardner and Brown and Scotney will come face-to-face for the first time at the official MVPW-07 kickoff press conference on Thursday, August 27 at 3pm BST / 10am ET at bp pulse LIVE arena in Birmingham, England ahead of the MVPW-06 final fight week press conference. 

Tiara Brown said: “She may have been the youngest undisputed champion in UK history, but I’m not stepping into the ring to admire her history. I’m stepping in to make my own. I’m a seasoned veteran who has been overlooked, but never outworked. Come fight night, we’ll see who’s truly built for greatness.”

Ellie Scotney said: “I can’t wait for the next chapter to begin at 126lbs, where I truly believe the world will see the best of me. It’s time to make more history on Sunday, November the 8th and become a two-weight world champion.”

Also joining the main card, MVP’s and Australia’s reigning WBC super bantamweight world champion at 122lbs, two-division champion, and 2020 Olympian Skye Nicolson (16-1, 3 KOs) will make her highly anticipated MVP debut in a 10-round title defense against Japan’s three-time, two-division world champion Miyo Yoshida (19-5, 1 KO). 

Skye Nicolson said: “I’m excited to announce we have a new date locked in. Having to withdraw due to injury was incredibly frustrating, especially after everything that went into preparing for this fight, but unfortunately these things happen in elite sport. The focus now is completely on moving forward and taking on Miyo Yoshida in what I know will be a great fight. I’m looking forward to getting back in there, putting on a big performance and making sure everyone and anyone in my way is officially put on notice. This delay has only made me hungrier. I’ll be ready to make a big statement for Australia on fight night and finish the year exactly where I want to be.” 

Miyo Yoshida said: “Many people see Skye Nicolson as the favorite and I understand why as she is an excellent fighter. But I have dedicated my life to boxing and I am prepared to give everything for this opportunity. I promise the fans will see a fearless Miyo Yoshida. I will bring the heart of Japan, my experience as a three-time World Champion and everything I have into this fight. On fight night, I believe the world will see me crowned as the new WBC super bantamweight champion.”

Rounding out the quadruple world championship main card, MVP’s multi-talented Somali-British boxer, activist, and high-fashion model Ramla Ali (11-2, 3 KOs) will face New York’s undefeated Mikiah Kreps (11-0, 3 KOs) in a 10-round championship bout for the vacant WBO and IBF super bantamweight world titles at 122lbs.

Ramla Ali said: “People assume the hardest fights of my life happened in a ring, under lights, with a bell to tell you when it’s over. They didn’t. The real fights never had a bell. They lasted years, some of them are still going. Every time a door closed, I found another way through. That’s the one true thing anyone could say about me: I’m relentless in my pursuit of anything I do. Mikiah and I have sparred probably a hundred rounds together. I have a lot of respect for her, and I know her journey in boxing hasn’t been easy either. We both know we’ll leave everything in that ring on Sunday, November 8th, the same way we left everything in every round of sparring that got us here. What does sit heavy with me is that so many of the people who made this possible won’t be able to watch it happen live as a result of new travel bans on Somalis and people who have travelled to Somalia. I would have loved to fight this one in London, where I was raised and haven’t competed in for four years. But that’s never been how my path has worked, I always seem to take the harder route, and I’ve made peace with that, because nothing worth having has ever come easy, and these titles are worth everything.”

Mikiah Kreps said: “I’ve been working toward this moment since I was a little girl watching my mom train in the boxing gym, and I’m ready for it. Fighting for my first world title means everything to me, but I’m not coming just to fight for a championship — I’m coming to win it.  I appreciate MVP, DBE, and Team Kreps for working together to make this fight happen, and I’m grateful to the WBO & IBF for the opportunity to fight for a unified title.  I can’t wait to step in the ring and show the world what I can do.”  

Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions said: “MVPW-07 is one of the biggest championship events in boxing history, with four back-to-back world title fights, bringing together eight elite fighters from around the world with belts at stake in every matchup. Elif Nur Turhan joined MVP to take on the biggest fights in the sport, and in her first event under the MVP banner she will defend her IBF lightweight world title against pound-for-pound great Alycia Baumgardner, one of the most dominant champions of this generation, as Alycia steps up to 135 pounds in pursuit of becoming a two-division world champion. Undefeated WBC featherweight champion Tiara Brown will defend her title against the undefeated former undisputed champion and ESPN’s 2025 Female Boxer of the Year Ellie Scotney, who moves up to 126 pounds seeking to become a two-division world champion. Two-division champion Skye Nicolson will make her MVP debut, defending her WBC super bantamweight world title against three-time, two-division champion Miyo Yoshida, and Ramla Ali faces undefeated Mikiah Kreps for the vacant WBO and IBF super bantamweight world titles at 122lbs. Four world championship fights. One massive night for boxing. Live on ESPN from Arlington, Texas.”

Further information, including additional bouts, will be announced in the coming weeks.

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