Texas' Reina Tellez faces Coventry’s Jessica Barry as part of the UK vs USA MVP card

Texas’ world title challenger Reina Tellez returns to face West Midlands’s Jessica Barry as part of the decorated UK vs USA main card

Also, MVP’s and Luton’s Tysie Gallagher makes promotional debut vs. Wales’ Ashleigh Johnson

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced that the USA’s and San Antonio, Texas top contender Reina Tellez (13-1-1, 5 KOs) will return to the ring to face Coventry, UK’s Jessica Barry (10-1, 2 KOs) in the latest addition to the MVPW-06 UK vs. USA main card on Saturday, August 29 at bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham, England, live on Sky Sports in the UK and ESPN+ in the US.

The bout marks Tellez’s first return to the ring after going the distance with unified world champion Amanda Serrano in January, as Tellez continues to prove herself as one of the featherweight division’s boxing elite against fellow rising contender Barry. Tellez vs. Barry will be contested under 10 rounds at 126lbs in the featherweight division. 

They join a main card of decorated current and former champions and top contenders, headlined by a rarely-seen pound-for-pound clash between the USA's unified WBA and WBC champion and ESPN’s #7 P4P Mikaela Mayer vs. the UK's WBO champion and ESPN’s #5 P4P Chantelle Cameron in a 10-round title unification bout at 154lbs. In the co-main event, London, UK’s unified WBC and WBO lightweight world champion Caroline Dubois will face the USA’s WBO #5 contender, 2x national champion, and reigning NABF lightweight champion Amelia Moore in a 10-round defense at 135lbs.

Also on the main card, the UK’s three-division world champion, #2 WBC and #4 IBF and WBO contender Terri Harper will take on the USA’s #9 WBA and #10 WBO contender Miranda Reyes in a super lightweight bout as Harper moves up to 140lbs and begins her campaign to win a world championship in a fourth weight division, aiming to establish herself against a top-ten contender in Reyes. 

Reina Tellez vs Jessica Barry

Reina Tellez, a Team USA veteran who took up boxing in 2012, quickly established herself among the elites of the amateur scene. Her accolades include winning gold at the 2015 and 2017 National Junior Olympics, winning the 2018 National Golden Gloves championship, and back-to-back silver medals at the 2018 and 2019 National Junior Olympics. After making her pro debut in 2021–the lone technical draw on her record–she returned to boxing in 2023 and began her rise, winning her next three bouts by TKO. In June 2024, Tellez defeated Hungarian prospect Beata Dudek on the undercard of Gervonta Davis vs Frank Martin in Las Vegas. Just three weeks later in July 2024, Tellez successfully outpointed Wendellin Cruz to win the vacant WBC Youth featherweight title by unanimous decision, before dropping down to win the NABF super bantamweight and bantamweight titles later that year. The 22-year-old Tellez, of Irish-Mexican heritage, most recently faced Amanda Serrano for the unified WBA and WBO world titles in January 2026, with Serrano winning by decision. She resides in San Antonio, Texas and is represented by Boxlab Promotions.

"On August 29, I'll step into that ring with one purpose, to show the world that I'm an elite fighter,” said Reina Tellez. “I respect Jessica Barry for accepting the challenge, but when that bell rings, respect gives way to determination. I'm coming to represent the USA with pride, fight with heart, and leave everything in the ring. Because I have plenty of time to get ready for this fight, I’ll be on another level. Expect fireworks, expect me to be at my best, I’m coming with everything I got.”

Coventry, West Midlands, England’s Jessica Barry is a 32-year-old professional boxer. After winning silver in the England Boxing amateur national championships in 2021, she turned pro in 2022, winning her debut by commanding TKO. Since, she has continued her rise, initially campaigning in the super featherweight and lightweight divisions. In 2024, she earned her first title, defeating Beccy Ferguson by TKO to win the BBBofC Midlands Area super featherweight title. In her next fight in December 2024, she moved down to featherweight to defeat Chelsey Arnell by decision to claim the vacant BBBofC English featherweight title by unanimous decision. She successfully defended the title against Linzi Buczynskyj in 2025, again winning by UD. She won her most recent bout by points in March 2026.

“I turned down three title fights to be on this card, and this opportunity is going to open every door I have been knocking on,” said Jessica Barry. “MVP are leading the way for female boxing and Sky Sports is the platform in the UK. It is now down to me to give a five star performance.”

“MVPW-06 continues to showcase elite matchups representing both the present and future of the UK and USA’s storied boxing legacies,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “Reina Tellez is a Team USA veteran and proven world-championship competitor while Jessica Barry is an English champion, each a perfect fit to join this decorated MVPW-06 UK vs. USA main card of champions and elite contenders, also featuring 3 of ESPN’s top 10 pound-for-pound athletes in Chantelle Cameron, Mikaela Mayer, and Caroline Dubois. Alongside Tysie Gallagher’s promotional debut, and another Midlands battle featuring Brandon Bethall, MVPW is back in force on Saturday, August 29, live on Sky Sports and ESPN+.”

Tysie Gallagher vs Ashleigh Johnson

Joining the preliminary card will be MVP’s and Luton, Bedfordshire’s Tysie Gallagher (10-2) against Swansea, Wales’ Ashleigh Johnson (3-4) in a 6-round super bantamweight bout at 122lbs and Wolverhampton, West Midlands’ Brandon Bethall (7-1, 1 KO) against a to-be-named opponent in a 6-round super featherweight bout. MVPW is a premium brand showcasing the sport’s most elite fighters with championship bouts on every card and will always feature a main card composed entirely of female fighters, with an undercard including a mix of female and male bouts. MVPW-06 UK vs. USA is a Most Valuable Promotions event in association with VIP Boxing Promotions.

Luton, Bedfordshire’s Tysie “The First Lady” Gallagher has established herself as one of the United Kingdom's most accomplished female fighters. She began boxing at age 10 and had a decorated amateur career spanning 35 bouts, winning two national titles, twice reaching the ABA Senior Elite Championship finals, and represented England on the international stage. Since turning professional, Gallagher became the first-ever female British super bantamweight champion while also capturing the Commonwealth and WBO International titles at 122lbs. Now ranked the IBF’s #5 contender in the world, Gallagher has emerged as one of the leading contenders in the super bantamweight division. In November 2023, she challenged Segolene Lefebvre for the WBO world title in just her eighth pro fight. Gallagher most recently earned a unanimous decision win over challenger Ellie Hellewell in defense of her Commonwealth, BBBoC British, and WBO International titles in September 2025. She was initially scheduled to compete on MVP’s UK debut event, MVPW-01, in April 2026, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. Outside the ring, she is a proud mother to her seven-year-old daughter.

“Saturday, August 29th is more than a comeback fight for me. It’s the start of a new era,” said Tysie Gallagher. “After injury, surgery and months of hard work behind the scenes, I’m finally ready to return. Making my MVP debut is a massive moment in my career, and I believe this is where the next chapter begins. The comeback starts now, and the future starts here.”

Welsh super-bantamweight Ashleigh "Sweet Poison" Johnson is continuing to build her career after making her professional debut in October 2023. Swansea’s Johnson (3-4) has earned a reputation as a durable, tough and a hard night’s work for the best. Johnson, 29, has  victories over Kerry Orton, Jamillette Janitza Vallejos and Kira Carter. Her defeats have come against Britain’s Victoria Perkins, Katie Healy, Cassidy Todd and Molly McCann pushing the former UFC superstar for eight rounds before dropping a points decision in April. Johnson now faces the biggest opportunity of her career when she meets British and Commonwealth champion Tysie Gallagher on MVPW-06 UK over six rounds as Johnson looks to upset one of Britain's leading boxers and announce herself on the MVP platform.

“I’m really looking forward and feel honoured to be sharing the ring with a tough, skilled opponent like Tysie Gallagher on such a strong card from MVP,” said Ashleigh Johnson. “My last fight taught me a lot, and I’m looking forward to show what I've learnt on Saturday, August 29th.”

Prelims

The preliminary card of MVPW-06 will also feature Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire’s Gemma Richardson (4-0, 1 KO) vs. Wolverhampton, West Midlands’ 2x European champion Kirstie Bavington (10-5-2, 2 KOs) in a 6-round super lightweight bout at 140lbs, and Chelmsley Wood, West Midlands’ Scott Melvin (12-1, 2 KOs) in a rematch against Coventry, West Midlands’ Dylan Cheema (11-3, 3 KOs) in an 8-round, lightweight bout at 135bs.

Tickets for MVPW-06 UK vs. USA at bp pulse LIVE are on sale now on AXS.com

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions, on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions.