Unified middleweight world champion Desley ‘Destroyer’ Robinson has officially signed with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), joining the likes of Shannon Courtenay, Jasmine Artiga, and Sa’Rai Brown-El in what is rapidly becoming the most elite female roster in professional boxing.
Robinson, a proud single mother of three from Logan City, Queensland, holds both the IBF and WBO middleweight world titles at 160lbs after a remarkable 12 months that saw her rise from near-obscurity to championship glory.
‘I love what Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian and the MVP team are doing for female boxing and I am so thankful that I will now be a part of that,’ Robinson said following the announcement.
‘MVP have signed some of the best female fighters of my generation, and to now be included in this is an amazing feeling. It is a privilege to have this opportunity and I can’t wait to get over there and show the team what I have.’
While Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions, said: ‘Women’s boxing has never been stronger globally and today’s signings further cement MVP’s commitment to continuing to invest and elevate the sport like no boxing promotional brand has before.
‘Desley, Jasmine, Yesica, Sa’Rai, and Shannon represent five powerful stories, four countries with proud boxing legacy, and one shared mission: to compete and win at the highest level.
Unified middleweight world champion Desley ‘Destroyer’ Robinson (right) has officially signed with Jake Paul’s (left) Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)
Robinson, a proud single mother of three from Queensland, holds both the IBF and WBO middleweight world titles at 160lbs
It comes following a remarkable 12 months that has seen Robinson (pictured left alongside Che Kenneally) shoot up from near-obscurity to championship glory
‘Signing a world champion like Desley Robinson, who is also a mother of three, is another important step for MVP’s strategic focus on Australia and New Zealand and she joins our newly crowned Aussie and Kiwi undisputed champion Cherneka ‘Sugar Neekz’ Johnson and the soon-to-return Ebanie Bridges.’
Robinson, known for her aggressive style and granite resolve, only stepped into a boxing gym to improve her fitness. But after over 50 amateur bouts and multiple Queensland and Australian titles, it became clear that Robinson had the heart – and hands – of a champion.
After turning professional in 2019, Robinson racked up wins quickly and earned a title shot in just her seventh fight. Though she lost a close majority decision to New Zealand’s Lani Daniels in December 2023, she bounced back in extraordinary fashion just a year later – fighting through a fractured foot – to claim the vacant IBF title with a gritty points win over fellow Aussie Kaye Scott.
Only four months later, she returned to the ring and dominated Chloe Chaos to unify the division, winning the vacant WBO title with a masterful display of pace, poise and power. At 37, she now stands as the unified world champion at 160lbs and has finally earned her shot on the world’s biggest stages.
That global platform is exactly what MVP has made its trademark.
Founded in 2021 by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, MVP has emerged as one of the sport’s most influential and disruptive promotions. Its female-first ethos has turned heads and shattered records – none more so than the historic Taylor vs Serrano III card at Madison Square Garden, which became the most-watched professional women’s sports event of the year.
The Netflix-televised blockbuster saw 17 championship belts being contested on a single card and generated a sold-out gate of $2.63million – the highest for a women’s sporting event in MSG history.
Paul’s promotional juggernaut also made Amanda Serrano the highest-paid female athlete in combat sports history that night, while broadcasting to more than 6m global viewers.
MVP has emerged as one of the sport’s most influential and disruptive promotions. The promotion notably shattered records during its historic Taylor vs Serrano III card at Madison Square Garden (pictured L-R: Katie Taylor, Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano)
After turning professional in 2019, Robinson (pictured) claimed multiple wins quickly and earned a title shot in just her seventh fight
With her championship pedigree, inspirational backstory and all-action style, Desley Robinson (pictured left with Katelyn Hankin) now has the opportunity to take her talents from Australia to the global stage
Joining her in the MVP stable is former WBA bantamweight world champion Shannon Courtenay, who recently signed with the promotional outfit as part of her comeback campaign.
Also on board is Jasmine ‘Animal’ Artiga, the undefeated WBA super flyweight world champion from Tampa who rose from the Legends Football League to boxing royalty, and Yesica Nery Plata, Mexico’s former unified light flyweight champion.
The 19-year-old phenom, Sa’Rai Brown-El, who is a 19-time US national champion and USA Boxing standout, is representing the next generation of stars now being brought into the spotlight.
Paul and Bidarian’s approach has been simple but seismic: create premium platforms, demand equal pay and exposure for female athletes, and showcase women’s boxing with the production values and storytelling it has long deserved.
It’s a strategy that has shaken the boxing world and made MVP the go-to destination for elite women’s fighters looking for more than just fights, but real careers.
With her championship pedigree, inspirational backstory and all-action style, Desley Robinson now has the opportunity to take her talents from Australia to the global stage – backed by one of the most powerful forces in modern boxing.
And for MVP, it’s yet another step in their unapologetic mission to change the face of the sport one fighter, one title, one sold-out arena at a time.
