Shannon Courtenay signs with MVP
MVP signs Shannon Courtenay, plus four other female fighters
The promotional company led by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian continues to make history by signing five new female fighters.
Just weeks after organising one of the most significant all-female boxing cards in history this month between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, Most Valuable Promotions has continued its commitment to women’s boxing with the announcement of five exciting new additions to its roster.
Watford's Shannon Courtenay is the only signing from the UK.
Now aged 32, Courtenay held the WBA female bantamweight title between April and October 2021.
She turned professional in March 2019 and won her first five fights.
Her first defeat came against West Midland's Rachel Ball in August at the Matchroom Sport headquarters in Brentwood, Essex. Courtenay was dropped by a left hook in the first round and went on to lose on points over eight rounds, with the referee scoring the bout 77–75.
She bounced back from that loss with a TKO victory against Dorota Norek in December 2020, before facing Australian Ebanie Bridges for the vacant WBA female bantamweight title.
The 'Battle of the Blondes' bout took place on 10 April 2021 at the Copper Box Arena. Courtenay hurt her opponent with a right hand in the fifth round while also causing Bridges' eye to close through swelling by the ninth.
The Brit emerged victorious via 10-round unanimous decision, with two judges scoring the bout 98–92 and the third scored it 97–94.
In October 2021, Courtenay failed to make weight for her fight with Jamie Mitchell and was stripped of her WBA Bantamweight World Title, but she went on to lose the fight via mixed decision anyway.
She secured a routine win over Gemma Ruegg 14 months later in December 2022.
After almost two years of inactivity, Courtenay made her ring return in October 2024 at the Copper Box Arena in London, unexpectedly losing a six-round contest on points to unheralded Brazilian, Catherine Tacone Ramos.
Fast-forward nine months and the “Baby Face Assassin” has landed the important deal with Most Valuable Promotions that will reignite her flailing career.
With just 11 bouts in over six years as a pro, Courtenay would benefit from fighting regularly to get back to world title level once again.
Yesica Nery Plata: WBC and WBA light-flyweight world champion Yesica “The Powerful” Nery Plata was awarded WBC Female Fighter of the Year 2023. The 31-year-old Mexican has been a world champion since March 2022.
Sa’Rai Brown El: 19 from Dallas, Georgia, New York-born Sa`Rai Aameedah Joy Brown-El just won the 2024 USA National Championships at 106lbs in December 2024.
Jasmine Artiga: Jasmine “Animal” Artiga has held the WBA female super-flyweight title since March 2025. Aged 33, Artiga played American football in the LFL for the Tampa Breeze, and didn't take up boxing until she was 21.
Delsey Robinson: Delsey “The Destroyer” Robinson is the IBF and WBO World Middleweight champion from Australia. The 37-year-old from Queensland won her world titles in her last two bouts, firstly collecting the vacant IBF strap against Kaye Scott in Sydney in December, then the vacant WBO belt against Chloe Chaos in Melbourne in April.
