Cherneka "Sugar Neekz" Johnson will put her undisputed bantamweight titles on the line against former unified champion Dina Thorslund at MVPW-05 on Aug. 8 at Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, Most Valuable Promotions announced Thursday.
The 10-round undisputed bantamweight title clash will be broadcast on ESPN.
"MVPW-05 features the latest superfight from MVP, uniting two of the best women's boxers in the world, both of whom feel the 118lbs world titles are rightfully theirs," Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions, said in a statement.
Thorslund (24-0, 9 KOs) was forced to pull out of a fight with then-IBF titleholder Shurretta Metcalf and voluntarily relinquished her WBO and WBC titles in June 2025 after announcing she was pregnant with her second child. The undefeated Danish fighter suffered a miscarriage and decided to return to the ring in January, scoring a wide unanimous decision win over Almudena Alvarez.
An ESPN pound-for-pound fighter before her absence, Thorslund is looking to reclaim what she feels is rightfully hers.
"I know for certain this is going to be an incredible fight for the fans to watch," Thorslund said in a statement. "Cherneka Johnson always comes into the ring in great shape, and she'll definitely need to be at her absolute best against me, because I'm returning with a level of motivation I've never had before. Part of it is sporting ambition, but for me, this is also deeply personal."
Australia's Johnson (19-2, 8 KOs) stepped in for Thorslund to face Metcalf in July and won by ninth-round TKO. With the win, she retained her WBA title while adding the IBF and vacant WBO and WBC titles to become the undisputed champion. She has made one defense of those titles, a unanimous decision over Amanda Galle in December.
"I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and for this fight to come together the way it has makes it even more exciting!" Johnson said. "Now is my time to show what I am truly capable of. This is the fight I always knew would bring out the best version of me, and I plan to do exactly that -- take my belts home, take her pound-for-pound ranking, and claim the bantamweight queen title."