Undisputed bantamweight champion Cherneka Johnson will fight former unified champion Dina Thorslund at MVPW-05 in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday night. The 118-pound world title contest headlines the card, which will be broadcast live in the UK from 3am on Sunday on Sky Sports Action.
Johnson, a 32-year-old Australian nicknamed "Sugar Neekz," holds all four major world titles in the division, including the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO belts. She is the first Australian boxer, male or female, to hold all four major world titles simultaneously. The fighter returns to the United States as a global star with nearly half a million social media followers.
Johnson became the undisputed bantamweight champion in July 2025 after defeating Shurretta Metcalf to claim the WBC and WBO titles. Those belts had been vacated by Thorslund, who withdrew from their scheduled unification bout after announcing her pregnancy. Johnson believes defeating Thorslund provides the final piece of validation she needs, as Thorslund was the champion she was originally scheduled to face.
Path to the Ring
Thorslund, a 32-year-old unbeaten Danish fighter, enters the contest for her 24th career fight. Saturday marks the first time in her 24-fight career that she is competing outside Denmark or Germany. Although Johnson holds all four belts, she admitted that Thorslund still occupies the throne in the bantamweight division.
Thorslund vowed to shock the world and reclaim the titles she never lost in the ring after suffering the heartache of a miscarriage. Additional emotion surrounded her return following news that her sparring partner, Britain's Raven Chapman, suffered a bleed on the brain after collapsing in training.
Speaking at a pre-fight press conference, Thorslund said there was a lot of emotion in the fight for her. "I'm too experienced to let it have a bad effect on me. It's deeper motivation than before," Thorslund said. "I'm really prepared, I'm really looking forward to it and I think one person will be shocked. I cannot wait to get in there."
Thorslund declared that her primary objective is to finish the fight early. "My aim is to stop her. That is the high aim for me, and I'm not going to stop until I get the win," Thorslund said. "If I win by decision, fine, but the aim is to stop her."
Battle for the Crown
Johnson acknowledged the respect Thorslund commands in the division. "A lot of people in here still look at Dina as the queen of the bantamweight division," Johnson said. "She's got something I want, and I'm going to take that and all of these belts back home."
Nikisa Bidarian, the CEO of Most Valuable Promotions, praised both athletes ahead of the event. Bidarian told Sky Sports that Thorslund is one of the best in the world, noting she was the BoxRec No 1 pound-for-pound athlete in the world when signed by the promotion.
Bidarian added that Johnson is one of the most marketable fighters in the world and has continued to improve. "Both are vowing to take the belts back home from Orlando to Australia and Denmark, so I can't wait to see it," Bidarian said.
The undisputed 118-pound world title bout between Johnson and Thorslund headlines MVPW-05 live from Orlando. Coverage begins at 3am on Sunday on Sky Sports Action.
