BoxRec

Johnson-Thorslund for Ring, undisputed 118-pound title Aug. 8

Cherneka Johnson will defend her undisputed bantamweight world titles against Ring and former unified champion Dina Thorslund on August 8 in Orlando, Florida.

Thorslund (24-0, 9 KOs) will challenge Johnson (19-2, 8 KOs) in the MVPW-05 main event, live from Orlando's Caribe Royale Resort for two titles she never lost in the ring. Instead, the 32-year-old had relinquished the WBO/WBC 118-pound titles last June after announcing she was pregnant with her second child.

Johnson stepped up to the plate and scored a ninth-round TKO win over then-IBF beltholder Shurretta Metcalf on July 11, four months removed from a dominant stoppage of Nina Hughes for the WBA crown.

Denmark's Thorslund suffered a miscarriage and returned January 31 on the Jacob Bank-William Scull card with a near shutout win over Almudena Alvarez for the WBC interim featherweight strap, though is moving back down to her more natural weight here.

Australia's Johnson defended her undisputed titles the month prior, outpointing Amanda Galle on the Anthony Joshua-Jake Paul undercard December 19.

In a statement, the Ring champion warned her future foe about what's to come.

"I know for certain this is going to be an incredible fight for the fans to watch," Thorslund said.

"Cherneka always comes into the ring in great shape and she'll definitely need to be at her absolute best against me, because I'm returning with a level of motivation I've never had before. Part of it is sporting ambition, but for me, this is also deeply personal."

Johnson meanwhile, is looking forward to the challenge against a titleholder sitting seventh on The Ring's pound-for-pound list.

"I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and for this fight to come together the way it has makes it even more exciting," she said in a press release.

"Now is my time to show what I am truly capable of. This is the fight I always knew would bring the best version of me, and plan to do exactly that - take my belts home, take her pound-for-pound ranking and claim the bantamweight queen title."

Cherneka Johnson is lovely

Taansend wrote: ↑28 May 2026, 19:55 Cherneka Johnson is lovely

Her body as well

Desley Robinson defense vs. Tamm Thibeault added to MVPW-05

Unified women's middleweight champion Desley Robinson will put her WBO and IBF titles on the line against Tamm Thibeault in the co-main event of MVPW-05 on Aug. 8, Most Valuable Promotions announced Thursday.

The 10-round title fight will take place at Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, and will be broadcast live on ESPN. The card is headlined by Cherneka Johnson's undisputed bantamweight title defense against Dina Thorslund.

Fighting out of Australia, Robinson (12-3, 4 KOs) is looking to make her fourth successful title defense. She is coming off a wide unanimous decision win over Mary Spencer last month. But her next title defense may be her toughest against Canada's Thibeault (4-0, 3 KOs).

"This is the best fight that can be made in the middleweight division right now," Robinson said in a statement. "Tamm Thibeault is a two-time Olympian, an amateur world champion, and the number one contender for a reason. I've been waiting for a challenge like this. The best should fight the best."

Thibeault was scheduled to face Nadja Jesus Santos on the undercard of Alycia Baumgardner's junior lightweight title defense against Bo Mi Re Shin on April 17. However, the fight was scrapped when Santos faced visa issues.

Hoping to secure another opponent, Thibeault will instead be rewarded with an opportunity to become a unified world champion.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, but more than anything, I feel ready. I'm so grateful to MVP for giving me this opportunity on my fifth fight to show what I'm truly capable of, and to become a unified world champion," Thibeault said. "I'm preparing mentally and physically for a tough, experienced opponent, someone who knows what championship boxing looks like. I'm ready to go to war if that's what it takes. This is not an opportunity I will let slip away."

Also added to the card is former IBF bantamweight titleholder Shurretta Metcalf (15-5-1, 2 KOs) facing former unified bantamweight champion Amanda Galle (12-1-1, 1 KO) in an eight-round junior bantamweight fight. Both are back in action in a lower weight class after suffering losses to Johnson in the past year.

"Desley Robinson vs. Tamm Thibeault is one of the most compelling championship fights that can be made anywhere in the sport today, matching a unified world champion with a two-time Olympian and amateur world champion who has accomplished something almost unheard of by rising to become the number one contender across multiple sanctioning bodies from just four professional fights," said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. "This is a true best-versus-best matchup between two world-class athletes in their prime.

"Shurretta Metcalf and Amanda Galle are both coming off challenges for the undisputed bantamweight championship and looking to prove they deserve another shot at a title, this time at 115lbs, adding another high-stakes matchup to the card. Combined with Cherneka Johnson vs. Dina Thorslund in the main event, MVPW-05 delivers three elite fights with major championship stakes and implications."