Mikaela Joslin Mayer (born July 4, 1990) is an American

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...

, who has held WBO welterweight title since September 2024. She is also a former unified female

super-featherweight Super featherweight, also known as junior lightweight, is a boxing weight classes, weight division in professional boxing, contested between and . The super featherweight division was established by the New York Walker Law in 1920, although firs ...

world champion, having held the

WBO The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxin ...

and the IBF titles simultaneously. She has also held the interim WBC female

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...

world title. As an

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...

, she won a bronze medal at the 2012 World Championships and competed for the U.S. at the

2016 Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

Amateur career

Mayer competed internationally as part of Team USA in the women's 60 kg category at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. She defeated

Jennifer Chieng Jennifer Dugwen Chieng (born April 29, 1986) is an American-born boxer and mixed martial artist who represents the Federated States of Micronesia in sports. She competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the women's boxing - lightweight event, in w ...

in the Round of 16 before being eliminated in the quarterfinal by Russian Anastasia Belyakova, who took a majority decision.

Amateur accolades

* 2016 AIBA Americas Qualifier: Gold Medalist, Lightweight 60 kg (132 lb) * 2016 Olympic Trials Champion * 2015 USA Boxing National Champion 60 kg (132 lb) * 2014

USA Boxing USA Boxing is the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing. It is overseen by the United States Olympic Committee and World Boxing, which sets its rules. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Boxing is a non-profit organizati ...

National Champion 60 kg (132 lb) *

2012 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships The 2012 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships was held in Qinhuangdao, China from May 9 to May 22, 2012. For the first time, this world championship served as a qualifier for the 2012 Summer Olympics. 305 boxers participated from 70 countrie ...

: Bronze Medalist,

Light welterweight Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional boxing In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...

64 kg (141 lb) * 2012 AMBC Continental Championships: Gold Medalist 64 kg (141 lb) * 2012

National Champion 64 kg (141 lb) * 2012

U.S. Olympic Team The United States of America has sent athletes to every celebration of the modern Olympic Games with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics, during which it led a boycott in protest of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. The United ...

Trials: Runner-Up 60 kg (132 lb) * 2011

National Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 fr ...

: Champion 60 kg (132 lb)

Professional career

After signing a promotional deal with

Top Rank Top Rank, Inc. is a boxing promotional company founded by Jabir Herbert Muhammad and Bob Arum, which was incorporated in 1973, and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since its founding, Top Rank has promoted many world class fighters, including M ...

, Mayer made her professional debut on 5 August 2017, defeating Widnelly Figueroa by first-round knockout. Mayer beat Ewa Brodnicka by unanimous decision to win the

female

World title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on 31 October 2020. Her Polish opponent had been reigning champion but was stripped of the belt after failing to make the 130-pound weight limit. On 5 November 2021, she took on IBF female super-featherweight World champion

Maïva Hamadouche Maïva Hamadouche (born 4 November 1989) is a French professional boxer and police officer who held the IBF female super-featherweight title from November 2016 to November 2021. At regional level, she held the French female lightweight title in ...

in a contest that saw both women's titles and the inaugural

Ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...

female super-featherweight belt on the line. Mayer prevailed by unanimous decision. Seeking to further unify the division, Mayer faced WBC and IBO champion Alycia Baumgardner in London, England, on 15 October 2022. She lost via split decision with judges John Latham and Steve Gray making Baumgardner the winner, both scoring the fight 96-95, while Terry O’Connor gave it to Mayer 97-93. Mayer switched to

for her next outing where she was scheduled to face Christina Linardatou on 15 April 2023, but the Greek boxer failed her pre-fight medical. Sweden's Lucy Wildheart stepped in as a last-minute replacement with Mayer winning by unanimous decision to became the interim WBC female lightweight World champion.

Mayer vs. Jonas

Another change in weight division saw Mayer challenge IBF female

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

World champion

Natasha Jonas Natasha Jonas (born 18 June 1984) is a British professional boxer is a two weight world champion who held the unified WBC, and WBO female light-middleweight titles between 2022 and 2025. As an amateur, she won a bronze medal in the light-welte ...

in Liverpool, England, on 20 January 2024. After a closely fought contest, it was the English boxer who came out on top winning by split decision with judge Diana Drews Milano scoring the fight for Mayer 97-93 but Frank Lombardi (96-94) and Michael Alexander (96-95) giving it to Jonas.

WBO Welterweight Champion

Mayer vs. Ryan

Mayer was scheduled to challenge WBO welterweight champion Sandy Ryan in New York on September 27, 2024. She won the fight by majority decision. On the day of the fight, while leaving to the event, Ryan was hit by a tin of paint at her hotel. Two days after the fight Ryan demanded an immediate rematch in light of the paint incident and alleged threats against her and her support team.

Mayer vs. Ryan 2

Mayer made the first defense of her WBO welterweight title in a rematch against Sandy Ryan at Fontainebleau in Las Vegas on 29 March 2025. She won by unanimous decision.

Professional boxing record

Personal life

Between 2003 and 2005, Mayer played

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

in heavy metal band Lia-Fail, which also included

Nita Strauss Nita Strauss (born December 7, 1986) is an American musician. She is currently a guitarist for Alice Cooper, has also been a touring guitarist for Demi Lovato and has a successful career as a solo artist. Strauss is regularly featured on the cov ...

References

Other sources

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External links

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Mikaela Mayer - Profile, News Archive & Current Rankings
a
Box.Live
at Women Boxing Archive Network * , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Mayer, Mikaela 1990 births Living people American women boxers Boxers from Los Angeles AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships medalists Boxers at the 2016 Summer Olympics Olympic boxers for the United States Lightweight boxers World super-featherweight boxing champions World welterweight boxing champions World Boxing Organization champions International Boxing Federation champions The Ring (magazine) champions 21st-century American sportswomen