Britain’s Sandy Ryan is set to defend her WBO welterweight title against American Mikaela Mayer on 27 September at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York. This bout will mark Ryan’s third title defense and the second time she has defended her belt in the United States.
Ryan, who has only suffered one loss in her nine-fight career, expressed her intention to let her “boxing do the talking” against Mayer. She stated, “It’s the perfect moment in my career, and I’m looking forward to successfully defending my world title.” She added, “I can promise that on a level playing field, nobody is taking this belt from me.” Regarding Mayer’s comments leading up to the fight, Ryan mentioned, “Mayer has had an awful lot to say about me and this fight, and I’m sure she will continue to do so, but I’m an athlete and a professional.”
Ryan’s last fight in the USA ended in a controversial draw against Jessica McCaskill, where she was unable to unify the division. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum noted, “Mikaela Mayer always wants to fight the best, and Sandy Ryan is an elite welterweight,” emphasizing that the upcoming match features “two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world,” with the winner likely to emerge as the leading contender in the 147-pound division.
Mayer, a former unified world champion at super-featherweight, has experienced mixed results since moving up in weight. Her most recent fight ended in a controversial points loss to IBF welterweight champion Natasha Jonas in Liverpool in January. Despite her setbacks, Mayer has only two defeats on her record, both to Jonas and American rival Alycia Baumgardner. The 34-year-old will be fighting on home soil for the first time since 2022 after competing in the UK for her last four bouts.
