MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 7 will take place Friday, July 26 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, available globally on DAZN.
The main card of Most Valuable Prospects 7 will be headlined by the eight-round heavyweight showdown between Armenian-American rising prospect Gurgen “Big Gug” Hovhannisyan (6-0, 6 KOs) vs. Robert Hall Jr. (14-3, 11 KOs). Also on the card, the young Puerto Rican sensation and Amanda Serrano’s first signed fighter, Krystal Rosado (3-0, 1 KO), will take on Veronika Dmitriyeva (1-1) in a six-round bantamweight bout, marking Rosado’s next step up in competition across additional rounds. The card will also feature a six-round heavyweight bout between David Garcia (6-0, 3 KOs) vs. Dominicc Hardy (6-2, 4 KOs), as Crescent City, Florida’s Garcia returns to the Most Valuable Prospects series fresh off his dazzling KO of Henry Richard at Most Valuable Prospects 6 in April 2024.
Hovhannisyan will take the ring in the main event as "Big Gug" looks to send yet another fighter into early retirement following his latest matchup in May 2024 against Luis Pascual, in which Pascual quit on his stool after the second round. Hovhannisyan, the 26-year-old, 6-foot-7 talent fighting out of Los Angeles by way of Yerevan, Armenia, burst onto the world amateur scene in 2016, facing off with numerous top amateur fighters. His 2021 bout with Bakhodir Jalolov, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist at super-heavyweight, resulted in a narrow split decision loss. Feeling his power would be a better fit for the professional ranks, Hovhannisyan turned pro later that year. Following an unlucky streak in 2022 where multiple matches fell through at the late stages, Hovhannisyan’s eye-catching knockout of prospect Michael Polite-Coffee in October 2022 made his mark as a serious future title contender.
Now, Hovhannisyan seeks to show off his intimidating power again against the more experienced Hall, who brings 10 years of professional experience to the ring. The 6-foot-3 talent out of Johnson City, Tennessee is ready to step up against the larger Hovhannisyan, focused on reestablishing his win streak at Most Valuable Prospects 7. As an amateur, he competed multiple times in the USA Boxing national tournaments. After turning pro, Hall won the Tennessee state cruiserweight title and a WBC regional title. As with many fighters, the COVID-19 pandemic halted Hall’s progress as a pro, stalling him at a 12-1 record for nearly three years before returning to the ring. Seeking to become a full-time professional boxer, Hall seeks to overcome the challenge of Hovhannisyan in both size and talent.
Joining the preliminary card ahead of Hovhannisyan vs. Hall will be 21-year-old Rosado in her highly anticipated return to the ring. Previously, the Carolina, Puerto Rico native made her MVP and professional debut at MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 2 show in August 2023, stunning fans with a ferocious second-round KO against Tarrethia Dixon. Rosado went on to compete on MVP’s historic Serrano vs. Ramos card in October 2023, earning her decisive second win over Hungary’s Kata Pap, before making her most recent appearance in front of her home fans at the legendary Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan as part of MVP’s main card marquee event in March 2024. In front of her home fans, Rosado put on a ferocious show, displaying her championship potential against her most experienced opponent to date, Mexican-American talent Alyssia Lopez. Rosado took home a unanimous decision win and now seeks to continue her undefeated streak against Veronika Dmitriyeva (1-1). The fight marks Rosado’s first event competing over six rounds, and the young talent will test her endurance and power against an opponent in Dmitriyeva who competes in both bare knuckle and traditional boxing.
The July 26 card will also feature a six-round heavyweight bout between Garcia and Hardy. Garcia is a former Junior Olympic national champion, and the 24-year-old heavyweight and local fan favorite is yet-undefeated in his professional career. Hardy, coming to the ring out of Riverside, Illinois by way of Chicago, was a 2017 Chicago Golden Gloves Champion. The 6-foot-3 talent is fresh off his latest March 2024 KO victory and will look to utilize his height advantage in the ring against a 5-foot-8 Garcia to end Garcia’s undefeated streak.