Reina Tellez will step back onto the world stage this Saturday when she faces Jessica Barry on the undercard of Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron's headline bout in Birmingham.
The 23-year-old contender returns to action at MVPW-06, a landmark card marking the fifth anniversary of MVP. She carries a professional record of 13 wins, one draw and one defeat, with five knockout victories.
Tellez made her name in January when she stepped in on just 15 days' notice to fight Amanda Serrano. She went the distance against the seven-division world champion before suffering a points defeat, earning the label of a "warrior" from the Puerto Rican icon.
The short-notice bout proved to be a turning point, securing her spot on this weekend's major card.
"The Serrano fight got me on a platform like I am today. For that, I'm extremely grateful," Tellez told Sky Sports.
"I feel like without that fight, I wouldn't be able to see the things that I need in my life and in my career to keep being successful and keep being Reina. It taught me a lot as a boxer and as a person."
Evolving after Serrano
Tellez had originally been scheduled to return to the ring in May to fight Juliana Vanesa Basualdo. That bout, which was set for the undercard of the Stephanie Han against Holly Holm rematch, was ultimately cancelled.
Now, she believes the lessons learned in January have transformed her abilities.
"It means a lot to me. I'm not the same fighter that I was when I fought Amanda Serrano, and even my fights before that, I feel like I've really evolved," she said.
"So to see how much better I've got over the past couple of months and the changes that I've made that I can showcase in the ring, it means a lot to me. This fight means so much to me, my family and my team. So I'm grateful for it."
Fighting Serrano fulfilled a lifelong ambition for the young boxer, who was eager to prove herself at the highest level despite the lack of preparation time.
"I believe in myself and I have a lot of heart. This is something I've always wanted to do, ever since I was a child," she said.
"Having somebody that I watched growing up and then having the opportunity to fight her, it meant so much to me. And to make my family proud and to prove something to myself. So I took it considering the short time.
"I had a great outcome, even though it wasn't a win. I got a lot of things from that fight. Like I said, I'm grateful."
Serrano's 50th victory
Since their meeting, Serrano has continued her success, recently securing her 50th professional win. The champion retained her WBA and WBO featherweight titles with a majority decision victory over Lucrecia Manzur in a fight broadcast live on TikTok, drawing 3.4 million views across the evening.
"You look at everything she has done, she's done a lot for the sport," Tellez said of her former opponent. "She's a world champion for a reason. So you have to always give respect to her too."
Moving to Texas
Tellez first discovered boxing as a child in Vero Beach, Florida. She grew up watching the sport on television and observing her uncle train at a local gym before convincing her family to let her participate.
"I told them I wanted to box, and at first they didn't want to because I'm the only girl in the family," she recalled. "And then they took their chance on it, they took me to the gym and since then I've just been boxing."
Her dedication eventually prompted a move to San Antonio, Texas, to further her professional career. She is one of two Texas-based fighters competing in Birmingham this Saturday, alongside Miranda Reyes.
"Texas is big, boxing is huge in Texas, that's one of the main reasons I actually moved to Texas," she explained.
"It's just crazy to see people that I've known since even as a kid be here. And I'm happy for everybody who comes from where I come from to be able to get the opportunity. So best of luck to Miranda and to me."
Asked if a Texas takeover was incoming, Tellez replied: "For sure."
Mayer against Cameron
Tellez and Reyes feature on a card topped by Mayer and Cameron. Ahead of the main event, Cameron stated that Mayer's pre-fight talk shows a lack of confidence, adding that she is certain of winning a close contest.
At a recent press conference, Alycia Baumgardner took attendees by surprise when she grabbed a microphone to ask Mayer, her former rival, a question.
Elsewhere on the bill, Caroline Dubois is also set for action. During their pre-fight head-to-head meeting, Dubois engaged in a lengthy conversation with Amelia Moore, with the American appearing not to enjoy the exchange.
