Mazlum Akdeniz will take on his toughest assignment to date.

The locally based welterweight Mazlum Akdeniz, 21-0 (8 KOs) will face unbeaten Anthony Soto, 13-0-1 (8 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round contest. Their bout will land on the main portion of the September 27 “Most Valuable Prospects 15” DAZN show from Theatre St-Denis in Montreal, Canada.

The bout is joined by two previously confirmed matchups for the Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)-presented event, in association with GYM Promotions. IBF 105lbs titlist Sol Cudos defends against local hero and former WBC titleholder Kim Clavel, 21-2 (3 KOs) in the main event. Canada’s two-time Olympian Tamm Thibeault, 3-0 (2 KOs) in her ambitious ascension up the ranks will face Italy’s Cristina Mazzotta, 1-0 (0 KOs) over eight, three-minute rounds.

“Every Most Valuable Prospects event is about discovering the future of boxing, and this Championship Edition takes that to another level,” MVP co-founders Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul told BoxingScene in a provided joint statement. “You’ve got an undefeated hometown hero in Mazlum Akdeniz putting it all on the line against an American knockout artist, and you’ve got Canadian and international prospects hungry to prove themselves on a global stage.

“Montreal has a deep boxing history, and on Saturday, September 27, fans will witness the next generation ready to carry that tradition forward.”

Montreal’s Akdeniz takes on his first unbeaten opponent as a pro. The 28-year-old southpaw hopes to parlay a win into a shot at one of the 140lbs titlists after having claimed six consecutive unanimous decision victories at the ten-round, contender level.

Soto will fight outside of the U.S. for the first time in his five-plus year career. The 24-year-old from Pueblo, California also steps up well in class for the occasion. The majority of his career bouts have come versus opposition with losing records.

Also confirmed for the preliminary undercard:

-       Amanda Galle, 11-0-1 (1 KO), a recent MVP signee, faces Mexico’s Alondra Hernandez, 8-1, in a scheduled eight-round bantamweight bout.

-       Sherbrooke-based prospect Loick Lahaie, 2-0 (0 KOs) takes on hard-hitting Berlin native Rufus-Venice Camara-Macauley, 4-0 (3 KOs) in a six-round middleweight bout.

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.