Had things been different, it would be Tony Sims' charge Ramla Ali standing across from unified and Ring junior-featherweight champion Ellie Scotney next Friday at New York's Madison Square Garden, just one of many world title fights on a historic all-women's card.

Instead, the 36-year-old will end a 13-month layoff against Brazil's Lila Furtado (11-2, 2 KOs), who memorably gave Raven Chapman and Olympic bronze medallist Kariss Artingstall all they could handle, five months apart across the pond on British shores.

Ali (9-2, 2 KOs) avenged the first defeat of her pro career, five months after being stopped by Mexico's Julissa Alejandra Guzman during a busy 2023.

Yet she was firmly second best and dropped a 10-round decision (98-93, 98-92, 97-93) against Scotney's upcoming opponent and WBA titleholder Yamileth Mercado (24-3, 5 KOs) last summer, in the long-reigning champion's seventh championship defence.

Another Matchroom-backed fighter who faded into obscurity after defeat, we hadn't heard much from Ali in the boxing world before her MVP signing was announced in March and four months on, she'll return on this bill headlined by the Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano trilogy.

"Ramla has moved from Los Angeles back to London, so she needs to sort out her new gym set-up, coming back to the UK and settling down again," Sims told The Ring.

"She's been working a lot with John Ryder out of my gym and a fighter-trainer need to gel together, you can't just jump straight in with a new trainer. I've been watching her spar, seeing her get back into shape, we're looking forward to July 11."

A lot has been said about Skye Nicolson's impending move down to junior-featherweight, having lost her unbeaten record and WBC featherweight world title against a determined Tiara Brown on March 22. She weighed in at 124-pounds ahead of her 8-round contest with Carla Camila Campos Gonzales (9-3, 8 KOs) as part of the Jack Catterall-Harlem Eubank undercard taking place later today, and has been vocal about a desire to box Scotney.

Provided Scotney (10-0) continues winning, tightening her grip on leverage in a division without a clear rival and the Nicholson matchup could be easily made at some stage. Ali, a year younger than Brown, will be quietly eager to force her way into the world title conversation again and earn an all-British affair between two MVP signees.

Since making her debut in October 2020, Scotney has succeeded with making difficult challenges look routine, where her relinquishing rounds is met with surprise and intrigue about how others can look to form a blueprint capable of beating her over the distance.

Sims is understated by nature and doesn't like to give much away at the best of times, but also knows just how good she is. He has cornered boxers who have shared the card with Scotney on eight occasions and it'll be nine next week.

"This is a massive show with loads of top names on the same card, it's great for any female fighter to be on. Ellie isn't just a world champion or tough but she's a very smart boxer too and that would be a good but difficult fight for Ramla — they all are at world level — she just needs to get the ring rust off, go from there and then we'll see what's next."