Canadian world titleholder in co-feature on MVP's Toronto card on March 7
Feb 25, 2025 • 12:00 PM ET
Most Valuable Promotions is bringing a world titleholder to its first international and 11th Most Valuable Prospects card in Toronto on March 7, when WBA light-flyweight titlist Sara Bailey defends her belt against Cristina Navarro.
The card is headlined by WBA seventh-ranked lightweight Lucas Bahdi, 18-0 (15 KOs), meeting fellow unbeaten Ryan Racaza, 15-0 (11 KOs). It will also feature the return of talented women’s middleweight Tamm Thibeault, a two-time Olympian from Canada, in her second pro fight against Sonya Dreiling. Thibeault-Dreiling will be contested over six three-minute rounds.
Another Canadian, Ontario’s Mark Smither, 13-1 (0 KOs), will participate on the main card in a junior-welterweight bout against San Diego’s Jaime Cuesta, 10-0 (3 KOs).
Bailey, 5-0 (0 KOs), won her belt in April, defeating Maria Bautista, and moves on to Spain’s Navarro, 35, an accomplished amateur with a pro record of 6-2 (1 KO).
The card marks the first international event for Jake Paul’s promotional company.
Other bouts include Canada’s Doni Foreman vs Pavel Ourednik, heavyweights; Angel Barrientes vs Alexander Castellano, junior featherweights; Ricardo Brown in a heavyweight bout; unbeaten welterweight Alex Bray seeking to extend his unbeaten start; and model and US national boxing champion Alexis “Chop Chop” Chaparro returning to action.
“Canada has an exceptional boxing culture, and we’re proud to showcase elite fighters like Sara Bailey and Mark Smither, as well as fast-rising prospects like Doni Foreman, alongside MVP’s own Lucas Bahdi and Tamm Thibeault on a global stage,” said Paul and MVP’s co-founder Nakisa Bidarian in a prepared statement. “This event embodies what MVP is all about – giving rising stars the platform they deserve while delivering must-watch fights for fans worldwide.”
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
