Undefeated heavyweight knockout artist Gurgen “Big Gug” Hovhannisyan (6-0, 6 KOs) will take on Robert Hall Jr. (14-3, 11 KOs) in the main event of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 7, with Amanda Serrano’s first signed fighter Krystal Rosado taking on Veronika Dmitiryeva also appearing on the card, promoters MVP announced today.
The card, which also features a six-round heavyweight bout between David Garcia and Dominicc Hardy, will take place on Friday, July 26 at the Caribe Royal Resort in Orlando, Florida and will be streamed worldwide on DAZN.
The 26-year-old 6’7″ Hovhannisyan, fighting out of Los Angeles, CA by way of Yerevan, Armenia is trained by Hall-of-Famer Joe Goossen and is coming off a May bout over Luis Pascual, in which Pascual retired on his stool after the second round.
Beginning his amateur career in 2016, Hovhannisyan ultimately felt his power and style would be better suited to the paid ranks. He turned professional in 2021 following a close loss to highly regarded contender Bakhodir Jalolov, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist at super-heavyweight.
Facing off against Hovhannisyan will be Johnson City, Tennessee’s Hall Jr., who will be looking to reestablish a winning streak after suffering back-to-back points defeats to veteran Jerry Forrest and undefeated Roney Hines. After racing to a 12-1 start to his career, Hall found himself stalled for three years, partly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, before returning to the ring in 2021 with a third-round stoppage of Portland Pringle.
21-year-old Puerto Rican Rosado, 3-0 (1 KO), made her MVP and professional debut at MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 2 show in August 2023, scoring a second-round KO against Tarrethia Dixon. In her most recent appearance, in front of her home fans at the legendary Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan in March 2024, she won a unanimous decision over Mexican-American Alyssia Lopez. Her contest against the 1-1 Dmitriyeva, who competes in both bare knuckle and traditional boxing, will be her first over a scheduled six rounds.
Garcia, 6-0, 3 KOs, is a former Junior Olympic national champion who fights out of nearby Crescent City, Florida, and who most recently scored a second round KO over Henry Richard at Most Valuable Prospects 6. He will face 2017 Chicago Golden Gloves champion Hardy, who at 6’3” will enjoy a substantial height and reach advantage over the 5’8” Garcia.
The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and marketed by MVP with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is sponsored by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy.
“We’re thrilled to be returning to Orlando to showcase the future of boxing with our upcoming Most Valuable Prospects 7 card. This event will again feature some of the top young prospects in the game who are ready to prove they belong on the big stage, and we can’t wait for fans to witness the talent and heart they bring to the ring on Friday, July 26,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of MVP. “We’re particularly excited about Gurgen Hovhannisyan, whose power and precision have already made waves in the heavyweight division, and the return of Krystal Rosado, whose speed and technique are redefining the standards in women’s boxing, following in the footsteps of Amanda Serrano. Thank you to Boxlab Promotions and CELSIUS for their dedication to bringing another incredible night of boxing to Orlando, and we look forward to unveiling the rest of this exciting card soon.”
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