A pair of former world title challengers will meet on the undercard of Most Valuable Promotions V, while a future Hall of Famer will join the broadcast team.

The full undercard is set for the 2024 season debut of Most Valuable Promotions’ (MVP) prospect-based series, which takes place next Friday, February 2 on DAZN from Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The chief support pits series and venue regulars Orestes Velazquez (8-0, 7KOs) and Julian “The Quiet Storm” Smith (7-2, 5KOs) in a scheduled ten-round regional junior welterweight title fight.

Former title challengers Maricela Cornejo and Kandi Wyatt will collide in a welterweight bout scheduled for eight rounds. Also on the card, Benigno Aguilar (11-0, 7KOs) and Corey Marksman (8-0, 6KOs) meet in a six-round battle of unbeaten lightweights.

On the other side of the ropes, legendary former four-division champion Nonito Donaire (42-8, 28KOs) will serve as part of the broadcast team.  He joins series regulars Wade Plemons, Dan Canobbio and Sibley Scoles behind the mic.

Donaire aims to broaden his horizons as a commentator while he mulls his future in a boxing career destined for Canastota. The Fil-Am star has won world titles in four weight divisions, and broke his own record as the oldest ever bantamweight champion in May 2021 when he regained the WBC title.

“Most Valuable Prospects was introduced last year, and since that time we’ve provided up and coming fighters with a platform to display their skills and build their names,” MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian told krikya360.com in a provided quote. “We couldn’t be more excited by this first installment of 2024, where we’ll see MVP phenom H20 Sylve battle Estivan Falcao for the WBC Youth World Championship in H20’s first 10-round bout, and Orestes Velazquez and Julian Smith fight for the WBA International Title.”

As previously reported by krikya360.com, undefeated prospect H2O Sylve (10-0, 9KOs) will face Brazil’s Estivan Falcao (13-2, 7KOs) in a ten round WBC Youth lightweight title fight.

Sylve topped the inaugural installment of the Most Valuable Prospects last May, in an eight-round decision victory over Adam Kipenga. He since resumed his knockout ways with a fourth-round stoppage of Brazil’s William Silva last August 5 on the Jake Paul-Nate Diaz undercard in Dallas, Texas.

The upcoming main event will see the 19-year-old Sylve challenge for his first title. It comes versus the well-pedigreed Falcao, whose older brothers Esquiva and Yamaguchi both medaled for Brazil during the 2012 London Olympics.

“In May of 2023, I headlined MVP’s very first Most Valuable Prospects event, and now I’m battling for the WBC Youth World Championship less than a year later,” noted Syvle. “It’s an honor to come back to Orlando and represent the series for a second time.  Most Valuable Prospects has provided so many fighters – myself included – with a platform and opportunity in this sport and I’m looking forward to headlining for a second time.

“Thank you to MVP, Boxlab, Caribe, and DAZN for the opportunity and make sure to tune in on Friday, February 2nd to watch me give the WBC Youth World Championship belt a new home.”

Velasquez will return to Caribe Royale for the fourth time, though in his MVProspects debut. The 30-year-old, Miami-based Cuban export scored an eighth-round stoppage of Mohamed Soumaoro last September 23 on the Richardson Hitchins-Jose Zepeda undercard at this very location. He faces a durable opponent in Smith, a legally deaf boxer from the greater Chicago area who makes his third straight series appearance.

Aguilar faces his third straight unbeaten opponent, including his second in a row at this location. The 24-year-old from Crescent City, Florida outpointed Alexander Rios (7-0, at the time) on the October 27 undercard of Amanda Serrano’s twelve-round featherweight champion title defense versus Danila Ramos.

Marksman, a 23-year-old from Deltona fought his first four pro bouts at Caribe and has spent his entire young career in the greater Orlando area.

Los Angeles’ Cornejo rebounded from a ten-round defeat to undisputed middleweight champion Claressa Shields last June with a first-round knockout of Cynthia Lozano last November 4 in Costa Rica. The bout marked her welterweight debut, where she will now campaign in a bid to win a long-elusive major title after four previous attempts in three different weight divisions.

Calgary’s Wyatt is in her comfort zone in that regard, though still in need of a notable win. The three-time title challenger suffered an eighth-round stoppage to Liverpool’s Natasha Jonas (15-2-1, 9KOs) in their IBF welterweight title fight last July in Manchester. She has lost four of her last five, though the one win was an upset split decision over Kirstie Bavington last March 10 on the road in Wolverhampton, England.”

“It’ll also be a big night and test for Maricela Cornejo, as she forges her path towards becoming world champion at welterweight against Kandi Wyatt, an important bout which continues Most Valuable Promotions’ support of women’s boxing,” stated Bidarian. It's truly a card created for the fans, and another great representation for Most Valuable Prospects.

"Thank you to DAZN, Boxlab, Caribe Royale Resort, and CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy for another year of partnership.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox