Head coach Shane McGuigan is optimistic that Ellie Scotney, who recently had to withdraw from her undisputed title fight due to a back injury, will be ready to return to the ring in January or February.
The 27-year-old was scheduled to face WBA world super-bantamweight champion Mayelli Flores on November 14, as part of the undercard for Jake Paul’s exhibition bout against Gervonta Davis at the Kaseya Center in Miami. However, Scotney, currently 11-0, will no longer appear live on Netflix for that event. Despite this setback, she is expected to secure her undisputed championship opportunity soon.
Scotney captured her third major title at 122lbs in July, adding the WBC belt to her collection after a dominant performance that saw her outpoint Yamileth Mercado.
Flores, who holds a 13-1-1 record with four knockouts, claimed the WBA title in May by narrowly defeating Nazarena Romero and had been set to face Scotney next month.
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Due to Scotney’s back injury, undisputed bantamweight champion Cherneka Johnson, preparing to face Amanda Galle, will instead take a spot on the Paul-Davis undercard.
Shane McGuigan indicated that Scotney’s rehabilitation is progressing well and she could be back training with him sooner than expected, opening the door for a rescheduled bout with Flores early next year. Manager Jake McGuigan remains in close contact with Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Paul’s MVP Promotions, and they are working to finalize the fight.
“She’s out of the gym at the moment, doing her rehab and getting her treatment, so hopefully, she’ll be back punching in a week or two,” Shane McGuigan told Boxing News.
“If that’s the case, then we should be able to get [the undisputed fight] rescheduled for January or February. Nakisa’s always on the phone to Jake, so hopefully we’ll get it done soon.
“It’s frustrating, but with a back, you can rotate through it and still train, but only at about 30 or 40 percent of your full potential. Going into an undisputed fight, you need to be 100 percent, or at least close to that.”
