Mayer vs Cameron: Amanda Serrano fight changed my career but I'm even better now, says Reina Tellez

Fortune can favour the bold in boxing and Reina Tellez is riding the momentum of her own valour as she steps onto the world stage once more.

The 23-year-old made a name for herself back in January when she agreed to fight seven-division champion Amanda Serrano on just 15 days' notice, going the distance in a points defeat to the Puerto Rican icon.

Now Tellez, hailed as a 'warrior' by Serrano for her performance, is preparing to face Jessica Barry on the undercard of Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron's main event at MVPW-06 in Birmingham this Saturday.

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"I believe in myself and I have a lot of heart. This is something I've always wanted to do, ever since I was a child," Tellez told Sky Sports.

"Having somebody that I watched growing up (Serrano) and then having the opportunity to fight her, it meant so much to me. And to make my family proud and to prove something to myself. So I took it considering the short time.

"I had a great outcome, even though it wasn't a win. I got a lot of things from that fight. Like I said, I'm grateful."

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Tellez, who is 13-1-1 (5 KOs) as a professional, had previously been scheduled to face Juliana Vanesa Basualdo on the Stephanie Han vs Holly Holm 2 card in May, however the fight did not go ahead.

She now features on a landmark bill as MVP celebrate their fifth anniversary this weekend, Tellez crediting her decision to fight Serrano at last-minute notice as a catalyst for her latest opportunity to shine.

"The Serrano fight got me on a platform like I am today. For that, I'm extremely grateful," she continued.

"I feel like without that fight, I wouldn't be able to see the things that I need in my life and in my career to keep being successful and keep being Reina. It taught me a lot as a boxer and as a person.

"It means a lot to me. I'm not the same fighter that I was when I fought Amanda Serrano, and even my fights before that, I feel like I've really evolved.

"So to see how much better I've got over the past couple of months and the changes that I've made that I can showcase in the ring, it means a lot to me. This fight means so much to me, my family and my team. So I'm grateful for it."

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Serrano recently clinched the 50th win of her professional career with a majority decision victory over Lucrecia Manzur to retain her WBA and WBO featherweight titles.

The fight had been broadcast live on TikTok and drew a total of 3.4m views across the night.

"You look at everything she (Serrano) has done, she's done a lot for the sport," said Tellez. "She's a world champion for a reason. So you have to always give respect to her too."

Tellez fell into boxing as a child growing up in Vero Beach, Florida having regularly watched the sport on television while also seeing her uncle train at the local gym. It would later prompt her to relocate in order to further her career inside the ring.

"I told them I wanted to box, and at first they didn't want to because I'm the only girl in the family," she said.

"And then they took their chance on it, they took me to the gym and since then I've just been boxing."

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These days she operates out of San Antonio, Texas as one of two fighters alongside Miranda Reyes to represent a state boasting its fair share of boxing greats this weekend.

"Texas is big, boxing is huge in Texas, that's one of the main reasons I actually moved to Texas," she continued.

"It's just crazy to see people that I've known since even as a kid be here. And I'm happy for everybody who comes from where I come from to be able to get the opportunity. So best of luck to Miranda and to me."

Texas takeover incoming?

"For sure."

Watch Mikaela Mayer vs Chantelle Cameron this Saturday with Caroline Dubois also in action, live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream boxing with no contract.