A three-bout card will kick off fight week for the final major U.S. show of the calendar year.
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix partner up for a December 16 MVP Fight Week Showcase 2 show featuring Luan Medeiros and former bantamweight titlist Shannon Courtenay in separate bouts. The show will air live on MVP and Netflix’s YouTube channels beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT from LIV at Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
The event will be intertwined with the official media workout to formally kick off the Jake Paul-Anthony Joshua fight week. The anticipated novelty fight will headline a December 19 Netflix event from Kaseya Center, home to the NBA’s Miami Heat.
Joining the Paul-Joshua main card is 2024 U.S. Olympian and MVP signee Jahmal Harvey, 1-0 (1 KO), who faces Kevin Cervantes, 5-0 (5 KOs), in a six-round, 130lbs contest.
Harvey made his pro debut on the August 22 Most Valuable Prospects 14 DAZN show from Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. He made quick work of Marcelo Del Aguila, whom he stopped at the end of the first round.
The 2024 Olympic quarterfinalist is now prepared to set the tone as anticipation mounts towards Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua.
“Being on the main card of Jake vs. Joshua is a massive stage and platform to showcase my talent and really introduce Jahmal Harvey to the world,” Harvey told BoxingScene in a provided quote. “I’m grateful to my team, MVP and Netflix for making it happen. I’m looking to seize the moment and make a big statement to kick off the main card live on Netflix!”
Before they get to the main course, MVP has detailed its full slate of appetizers.
The MVP Showcase card continues the tradition born from the Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano III fight week, when a two-fight card was featured in New York City during the media workout. This offering will be utilized by MVP to show off its new signees – Medeiros, Courtenay and Jocelyn Camarillo – in showcase appearances.
Medeiros, 6-0 (4 KOs), will take on Mexico’s Hugo Macias, 7-1-1 (5 KOs), in a scheduled 6-round lightweight battle.
The bout will mark the second straight U.S. appearance for Medeiros, a former amateur standout from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He debuted in the states in a June 8 points win over Tony Aguilar in Orlando, Florida. Macias fights outside of Mexico for the first time in his 3-year pro career.
Also making her U.S. debut is England’s Courtenay, 9-3-3 (3 KOs), who faces Minnesota’s Jessica Radtke Maltez, 3-2-2 (1 KO), in a bantamweight contest scheduled for six rounds.
Courtenay, 32 – who hails from the same Watford hometown as Joshua – aims to revive her career after a difficult past few years. She previously held the WBA 118lbs title, which she lost at the scales even ahead of her October 2021 majority decision defeat to Jamie Mitchell in Liverpool.
Just three fights have followed, including a stunning six-round points loss to Catherin Tacone Ramos last October 19 at Copper Box Arena. A win over Bec Connolly followed this past March, before Courtenay opted to join the growing list of notable women in boxing on the MVP roster.
Rounding out the MVP showcase event, Camarillo, 5-0 (0 KOs), risks her perfect record against Mexico City’s Yazmin Martinez, 3-2-2 (1 KO). The 21-year-old from Indio, California was the top-ranked U.S. junior flyweight at the peak of her standout amateur career, which has translated nicely thus far in her pro journey.
The full fight-week schedule is below. All pre-fight events are open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis and will air live at 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT on the respective YouTube channels for MVP and Netflix Sports.
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Tuesday, Dec. 16 (LIV at Fontainebleau Miami Beach): MVP Fight Week Showcase 2, featuring open workouts for all the fighters on the December 19 Netflix show as well as a three-fight card that evening from LIV at Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
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Wednesday, Dec. 17 (Fillmore Miami Beach): Final pre-fight press conference, featuring Paul, 12-1 (7 KOs), Joshua, 28-4 (25 KOs), the Alycia Baumgardner-Leila Beaudoin undisputed 130lbs championship co-feature and the undercard fighters.
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Thursday, Dec. 18 (Fillmore Miami Beach): The ceremonial pre-fight weigh-in for all bouts from the main card and preliminary undercard for the December 19 fight night.
“Jake vs. Joshua fight week builds up to the biggest event in boxing this year, with fight week events hosted at the iconic LIV at Fontainebleau Miami Beach and Fillmore Miami Beach, all free and open to the public,” said MVP co-founder and CEO Nakisa Bidarian. “The week will begin with the return of our signature series of sanctioned, professional fights within our open workouts event, MVP Fight Week Showcase 2, spotlighting three MVP fighters: our newest signings Luan Almeida and US prospect Jocelyn Camarillo, joined by former world champion Shannon Courtenay.
“The week continues with a massive press conference and our public weigh-in, each bringing together the entire fight card. We also look forward to formally introducing the global Netflix audience to US Olympian Jahmal Harvey, who will open the main card of Jake vs. Joshua, and who we believe is the most promising male boxing prospect to come out of Team USA this decade.”
Added Paul: “MVP keeps raising the bar. Two GOATs in Anderson Silva vs. Tyron Woodley, Alycia Baumgardner ready for a takeover and doing so with men’s rules, and now Jahmal Harvey joining the main card to show the world why he’s America’s next superstar.
“Jake vs. Joshua Fight Week is stacked, it’s free for fans, and it’s all building to me shocking the world.”
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.
