Ellie Scotney has been forced to withdraw from her highly anticipated WBC featherweight title fight against Tiara Brown due to injury, dealing a significant blow to the upcoming November 8 boxing card. Scotney had been due to step into the ring against Brown in what was set to mark a major milestone in her professional career: her debut appearance in the featherweight division.
The move up in weight followed a thrilling and career-defining victory back in April, when Scotney produced a masterclass performance to defeat Mayelli Flores and capture the undisputed super-bantamweight world championship. That triumph cemented her status as one of the standout fighters in the sport and immediately opened up conversations regarding future legacy-defining bouts, including a targeted clash with boxing legend Amanda Serrano. However, those plans must now be temporarily put on hold as the British star focuses on her rehabilitation and recovery.
Despite the setback of losing Scotney versus Brown from the schedule, the upcoming event at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, retains a packed and high-stakes lineup. Organizers have had to reshuffle the card, leading to significant updates for several fighters who now find themselves elevated to more prominent positions on the bill.
With Scotney sidelined, the spotlight shifts even more firmly onto the main event, which features Alycia Baumgardner squaring off against Elif Nur Turhan. Baumgardner will challenge Turhan for the latter’s prestigious IBF lightweight world title in what promises to be a explosive encounter at the top of the bill in Arlington.
The cascading effects of Scotney’s withdrawal have also created a massive opportunity elsewhere on the card. Ramla Ali’s scheduled bout against New York’s undefeated contender Mikiah Kreps has been elevated to become the official chief support. The stakes for Ali have risen dramatically, as the pair will now battle for the vacant WBO and IBF super-bantamweight world titles. For Ali, this represents the biggest and most defining opportunity of her professional career to date, giving her the chance to claim major world championship hardware on a major international stage.
In addition to the world title clash between Baumgardner and Turhan and the newly elevated co-feature between Ali and Kreps, the card features further championship action. Mexico’s Irma Garcia is set to take on Nataly Delgado in an explosive IBF and WBA super-flyweight title unification bout, adding another layer of elite-level competition to the November 8 event.
Promotional team Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) has moved quickly to reinforce the rest of the lineup following the adjustments at the top. Several other bouts have been officially added to the card to ensure fans still receive a full night of action-packed entertainment. Among the new additions is a matchup between Brittany Sims and Shera Mae Patricio, who will face off for the vacant WBA regular title in the 118lbs division.
Furthermore, rising star Nat Dove is set to return in an eagerly anticipated eight-round flyweight rematch against Nayeli Rodriguez, promising another competitive chapter in their ongoing rivalry. The preliminary and supporting action will be rounded out by matches featuring Fernando Garcia taking on Alexander Castellano, and Javier Guerrero squaring off against Aiden Anderson.
Reflecting on the changes to the card and the unfortunate news regarding Scotney, Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of MVP, addressed the adjustments in a joint statement.
"We’re disappointed Ellie Scotney is unable to compete, we wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her and Tiara Brown back in the ring soon," Bidarian and Paul said. "Ramla Ali now has the biggest opportunity of her professional career against an undefeated Mikiah Kreps, while Irma Garcia and Nataly Delgado will put their world titles on the line in another major unification bout."
The promotional heads also highlighted the depth of the revised lineup, emphasizing the new talent added to the preliminary stages of the event.
"We’re also adding more MVP talent to the preliminary card, including Brittany Sims and newly-signed Shera Mae Patricio competing for a world title, along with undefeated rising star Nat Dove returning for a highly-anticipated rematch," they added. "Sunday, November 8 is loaded with high-stakes fights featuring some of the best talent in boxing."
While Scotney’s absence is undoubtedly a disappointment for fans eager to see her featherweight campaign get underway, the depth of the Arlington card ensures that the event remains one of the most compelling dates on the boxing calendar this autumn. From Baumgardner’s lightweight title defense to Ali’s shot at dual world titles and multiple unification and championship bouts, the event continues to offer high drama and elite athletic competition.
Fans can watch Ramla Ali take on Mikiah Kreps alongside the rest of the action on Sunday, November 8, live on Sky Sports.
