Mikaela Mayer, is lacing up her gloves for another thrilling bout. She’s set to trade punches with Italy’s Silvia Bortot in a 10-round junior welterweight battle on Saturday, Sept. 2, in the hot atmosphere of Manchester’s AO Arena.
The highlight of the evening is the rematch between two warriors of the ring, Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. T
The whole thrilling package, promoted by BOXXER, will come to life in the U.S. on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. For fans in the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports Box Office is where the action is.
Mayer’s road to this moment (18-1, 5 KOs) has been nothing short of sensational. The U.S. Olympian turned pro with Top Rank in 2016 and didn’t waste time claiming the WBO junior lightweight crown in October 2020. Her fight with Maiva Hamadouche, where she unified the WBO and IBF titles, is the stuff of legends. Despite a razor-thin loss at London’s O2 Arena in October 2022, Mayer is far from finished; her move to lightweight, marked by a commanding win over Lucy Wildheart, proves she’s still got fire in her belly.
With excitement in her voice, Mayer says, “It’s my sixth year in the pro game, and I feel in the shape of my life. My 130-pound division run was a blast, something I’ll always cherish, but a new chapter is beckoning. This 142-pound clash is just a stepping stone; I’m eyeing 147, the next sizzling division in women’s boxing.”
Bortot’s career (11-2-1, 3 KOs) paints a picture of grit and bounce-back ability. From clinching the European junior welterweight title in 2019 to rebounding with three straight victories after a loss in 2022, she’s a fighter through and through.
And that’s just the beginning. The night also offers:
- Adam Azim (8-0, 6 KOs) faces Ukraine’s Aram Fanyan (23-1, 5 KOs) in a 10-round junior welterweight duel.
- A heavyweight tussle that sees British Olympic bronze medalist Frazer Clarke (7-0, 5 KOs) squaring off against David Allen (21-5-2, 18 KOs) in a 10-round slugfest.
- Mark Heffron (29-2-1, 23 KOs), the British super middleweight champ, putting his title on the line against Jack Cullen (21-4-1, 9 KO) in 12 rounds of action.
- An adrenaline-pumping 10-round welterweight clash between unbeaten Albanian southpaw Florian Marku (12-0-1, 7 KOs) and Ireland’s own Dylan Moran (18-1, 8 KOs).