Showdown in Las Vegas: Mikaela Mayer meets Sandy Ryan again – and then wants the Undisputed fight against Lauren Price.
For Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 knockouts), there is much more at stake on Saturday in Las Vegas than the defense of her WBO welterweight title. In the eagerly awaited rematch against Brit Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 knockouts), the 34-year-old US-American wants to finally clear the way for the biggest fight of her career to date: an undisputed duel against WBA, WBC, IBF and Lineal champion Lauren Price (9-0, 2 knockouts).
The first fight between Mayer and Ryan in September 2024 was a real thriller – with a narrow but deserved points victory for Mayer. Back then, the duel was accompanied by plenty of drama, including a paint attack on Ryan immediately before the fight. “A lot of people said I only won because of the distraction – this time I’m going to show that my victory was no fluke,” said Mayer. “I want to beat Ryan clearly and then it’s all belts.”
Mayer’s road back to the top was not an easy one. Since her controversial defeat to Alycia Baumgardner in October 2022, she has fought four times away from home in Great Britain. After another points defeat in the IBF World Championship fight against Natasha Jonas at the start of 2024, the US boxer won the WBO title against Ryan. If Mayer can secure a second victory over Ryan on Saturday, nothing should stand in the way of a mega-fight against Lauren Price in the fall. Mayer: “Everything is perfectly set up.”
Text by Robin Josten