Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) will make her long-awaited return to Puerto Rico vs. IBF mandatory challenger Nina Meinke (18-3, 4 KOs) on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at the legendary Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico, live globally on DAZN. This event, sponsored by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, marks Amanda Serrano’s first fight in Puerto Rico since becoming undisputed champion, with a sellout crowd expected to honor her as Puerto Rico’s first-ever undisputed world boxing champion, male or female. Serrano will fight for the second time at 12x3, the men’s championship standard, in defense of her unified IBF, WBO, WBA, IBO, and Ring Magazine featherweight world titles.
Co-headlining alongside Serrano will be international superstar Jake “The Problem Child” Paul (8-1, 5 KOs), who will continue his path towards becoming cruiserweight world champion in his 10th professional fight fresh off his first-round KO of professional boxer Andre August. Making his highly-anticipated global debut on the card will be MVP’s latest signee, multi-talented featherweight boxer, actor, and model Javon “Wanna'' Walton. Also competing on Serrano vs. Meinke will be Serrano’s first two signed Puerto Rican fighters; WBO junior flyweight world champion Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez (27-3-1, 14 KOs), who will make his third defense of his title, and the young super flyweight sensation Krystal Rosado (2-0, 1 KO).
Serrano, the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion, started her current featherweight title reign by defeating Heather Hardy in a brutal 10-round fight in 2019 to win the WBO belt, and has since defended her WBO belt six times. Serrano offered Hardy redemption in August 2023, but successfully defended her undisputed featherweight world champion title for the first time in a decisive 10 round unanimous decision victory. Serrano also won a blood-soaked war against WBA featherweight champion Erika Cruz in February 2023, which made her the undisputed featherweight champion.
Serrano’s decisive win against Cruz followed her previous win over Sarah Mahfoud in Manchester, England that added the Dane’s IBF title to her WBO, WBC, and IBO featherweight belts. Her historic clash against Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden in 2022 earned recognition as Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year and was further nominated for Event of the Year by Sports Business Journal. Most recently, Serrano took home a unanimous decision victory against her mandatory WBO challenger Danila Ramos, making history in the first-ever women’s unified world championship to be fought over 12, three-minute rounds, equal to any men’s championship fight, and marking the first time a women’s fight has gone the full 12x3. Serrano threw a career high of 1103 punches in the bout.
“It is absolutely a dream come true to fight and headline at home at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, and it is my biggest honor to have been the first-ever undisputed champion, male or female, from our beautiful island,” said Serrano. “I’m excited to prove my greatness and make history again in the ring at the Coliseo over 12, three-minute rounds. Thank you to the IBF, WBO, WBA, IBO, and Ring Magazine, Most Valuable Promotions, and my team for making this possible. A special thank you to Jake Paul, who gave me an opportunity to fight as his co-main many times and allowed me to show my skills to the world. I am honored to have Jake as my co-main for the first time.”
Nina “The Brave” Meinke, the Berlin, Germany native, comes to the ring ready to rise to the challenge Serrano presents and make history as the second-ever women’s unified championship fight set for 12 rounds with three minute rounds. The IBF mandatory featherweight challenger has garnered recognition throughout Europe following a series of interim title fights, most recently claiming the WBA Gold world featherweight title against Japan’s Kimika Miyoshi in June 2023 and the IBF Inter-Continental featherweight title against Laura Ledezma in October 2023.
“My team and I have wanted this fight for a long time,” said Meinke. “Finally we got it and I am happy, well trained and motivated to be the first female boxer from Germany to go the 12 round distance. Amanda Serrano is an outstanding person who has already made such a big change to women’s boxing and the fight for equal rights, so I am more than proud to be a part of that movement. Of course I am going to support it with all my heart and show the world women are just as capable in going 12 rounds at 3 minutes. I will be the best version of myself on this day and I am ready to make it a great fight! And new!”
Paul makes his triumphant return to the ring on March 2nd following his first round KO obliteration of Andre August on December 15th, a jaw dropping right uppercut sure to be a KO of the year contender. Paul’s co-main appearance on Serrano vs. Meinke will continue to showcase Paul’s ongoing journey to become a world champion.
Facing his first loss at the hands of Tommy Fury in February by a contentious split decision, Paul found himself back on top in August, defeating Nate Diaz by unanimous decision, before his first-round finish against August. In just three years since turning pro, Paul has collected multiple accolades, including ESPNRingside’s 2021 Knockout of The Year, Sports Illustrated’s 2021 Breakout Boxer of the Year, and ESPNRingside’s 2022 Viral Moment of the Year. Paul also earned distinction on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s August 2023 issue, “The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports,” for his success in the ring, his groundbreaking work to revolutionize pay equality in boxing, and his support of female fighters and boxing prospects through Most Valuable Promotions alongside co-founder Nakisa Bidarian.
“Fighting for the first time at home in Puerto Rico alongside one of the greatest fighters ever, Amanda Serrano, promises to be the event of a lifetime,” said Paul. “I’m honored to be the co-main event on Amanda’s homecoming card, and I could not be more excited to bring this historic event to Puerto Rico as I continue my path to becoming a world champion. Our latest MVP signee, Wanna Walton, is making his global debut on this card, Bomba Gonzalez and Krystal Rosado are continuing their rise to stardom, and the whole island of Puerto Rico will finally get a chance to properly celebrate the greatness of Amanda Serrano. She is going to sell more tickets in one event than Katie Taylor did in two in Dublin. This is going to be the biggest night of boxing the Coliseo has ever seen and the world will be watching.”
“It is an honor for Jake and I to work with Amanda on her historic return to Puerto Rico. While she fought in San Juan during the pandemic, this event on Saturday, March 2nd will be her true homecoming. A massive event for a massive Puerto Rican icon,” said Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “The magnitude of this event is such that Jake Paul demanded he be the co-main to Amanda for the first time, which reflects the starpower and legacy of Amanda Serrano in boxing and in Puerto Rico. We are also thrilled to bring Wanna Walton to the stage for his MVP global debut, and are certain he’s going to put on an incredible show and prove that he is one of the most talented future superstars of this sport. With Bomba and Krystal on this card, too, we’ll be featuring some of the most exciting talent from start to finish on this unforgettable night of boxing from San Juan to the world. This will undoubtedly be the most viewed Puerto Rican boxing event in history.”
“We are thrilled to be broadcasting this unmissable double-header on DAZN in March 2024,” said Alfie Sharman, VP DAZN. “Amanda Serrano and Jake Paul are two of the biggest names in boxing, and to have them join our already stacked new year schedule once again highlights DAZN as the global home of boxing. Watch these excellent matchups exclusively live only on DAZN.”