Jessica Barry: Beyond The Ropes

Jessica Barry: Beyond The Ropes

August 29th will be a pivotal moment in the career of Jessica Barry. The 32-year-old will take on the former world title challenger Reina Tellez in Birmingham live on Sky Sports. Most Valuable Promotions will host their second UK show, and Barry and Tellez will fight on the main card. A win changes everything for Barry.

“This was kind of always a dream for me,” Barry said at this week’s London press conference. “MVP is the best, especially for female fighters. So to be on a main card with all of these amazing women that are on this table today. It’s a huge opportunity for me, and I’m so grateful.”

Barry (10-1) has recovered her career from an early setback against Vaida Masiokaite in 2023. “I never ever want to feel like that again,” Barry told me last year. Barry has quietly been picking up titles since suffering her only career reversal. A 6th-round stoppage victory over Beccy Ferguson in 2024 earned Barry the Midlands Area super-featherweight title. A points win over Chelsey Arnell secured the English featherweight title. Last year, Barry claimed the Commonwealth Silver featherweight title with a victory over repeat opponent Linzi Buczynskyj. A nice little collection of titles could be surpassed with a victory over Tellez.

But Barry admits Tellez is the toughest test of her career to date. “It’s a step up on a bigger show for me,” Barry said this week. “I’ve already fought for some big titles. I’ve kind of come here as an underdog and a bit unknown because I’ve been fighting for my titles on small hall shows. However, all of these opponents that I’ve fought for these titles against, they’ve all been good, hard opponents. Reina is a good, hard opponent, but a lot of my other opponents have been as well.”

Barry told FightPost last year, “I just want to entertain. People pay a lot of their hard-earned money to watch us, and I want to entertain them.” Barry repeated that at this week’s press conference, and believes her fight with the American could be the fight of the night. “I am an entertaining fighter, and I put my whole heart into it. I put everything that I possibly can into every fight that I can. Every fight to me is like a world title fight. So, I think there’s a good chance that I could steal the show.”

Jessica Barry, as she says herself, has fought her career on the small hall circuit away from the bright lights. But the former footballer will finally have the spotlight on her next month. A win over Tellez would mean it’s not a one-and-done appearance on the top table.

Photo Credit: Most Valuable Promotions