Meet the talented teen who Katie Taylor calls ‘the best female boxer in the world’

Tia-Mae Ayton returns to action for her third fight in five months tonight, live on DAZN – but how far can the teen superstar go?

A world champion in multiple sports as an amateur, Ayton is pursuing even higher levels of glory in the paid pugilism ranks.

On the undercard of the Kieron Conway and George Ledyard fight at York Hall this evening, Ayton faces Argentina’s Laura Belen Valdebenito, a fighter 13 years her senior.

If that fight goes like her first two professional bouts, fans will see the kind of talent that could make Ayton one of the biggest names in women’s boxing.

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Genealogy of the Tia-Mai Ayton fight

Still only 19 years old, Ayton caught the eye due to his impressive record in the amateur ranks even before joining the professional ranks. Ayton played 21 matches in the unpaid code, winning multiple national titles and the Haringey Box Cup in 2024, before ending her stint in the amateurs as champion of the Golden Girl Tournament and World Under-19 Championship, winning each time.

However, Ayton’s fighting education goes far beyond sweet science, he has had hundreds of fights in other combat sports such as Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu. Kickboxing world champion at the age of 10, the Bristolian definitely knows how to fight, but now has her sights set squarely on boxing.

Tia-Mai Ayton has high expectations for herself and others

Already a world champion in other disciplines, Ayton has made it clear that she hopes to conquer the world in professional boxing. In fact, she set out her stall before her second professional fight, stating that she wanted to become the youngest woman to claim undisputed status in the same division.

Before she turns 22, she needs to win all four titles at bantamweight to defeat American Gabriela Fundora, who still reigns undisputed at flyweight.

But his goals do not end here. Instead, he has named the four divisions he hopes to conquer. In September she told the BBC: “I want to be undisputed at bantamweight and super-bantamweight and then it becomes featherweight and super-featherweight.

“I want to do those four categories, and I want to be undisputed in all four of them. It’s a lot of expectations but I think I can do it.”

Ayton definitely knows how to make her dreams come true. In May he signed his first professional contract with Matchroom Boxing. eddie hern – To fulfill one of his ambitions.

he told bbc sport: “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to go professional with Eddie Hearn.

“I think he got a message from me three or four years ago where I asked, ‘Can you sign me one day?’ Today is the day I signed a contract with them.”

Hearn was delighted to sign the teenager, saying Ayton would be “the next superstar of women’s boxing”.

he told BBC: “Tiah could have waited for the Olympic Games but she believes she will become multi-weight world champion, so there was no point in delaying.

“It’s going to be an incredibly exciting journey, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.”

What have top fighters said about Tia-Mai Ayton?

Of course, it’s in a promoter’s best interest to hype up his fighters, but Hearn isn’t the only person in boxing to shout Ayton’s name from the rooftops.

In fact, some of the best boxers in the women’s game have already recognized Ayton as a boxer for the future.

katie taylor She, who has a strong claim to be the best female boxer of all time, was at ringside in September when Ayton defeated Lydia Bialik in four rounds.

Speaking after that bout, the Irishman told DAZN: “I don’t think we’ve seen this kind of talent in a long time.

“This is the best female boxer in the world right here. The future is here. It’s a privilege to see such talent.”

“I can’t believe she just turned 19. It’s scary. She’s like a seasoned professional. I learned by watching her fight – amazing performance.”

And Taylor isn’t the only world champion who has recognized Ayton’s star power. Former featherweight titlist Sky Nicholson also offered similar praise and tipped the teenager for bigger things.

Nicholson told she kicks: “She just turned 19, and she’s probably the best female boxer I’ve ever seen, Tia-Mae Ayton. Remember the name.

“She’s going to do big things in the sport, is a very smart fighter, heavy handed, exciting, she has lethal instincts but she can also box. She’s the full package.”

In fact, it was the sparring session with Nicholson that first put Ayton on Matchroom and Hearn’s radar. Ayton was signed just two months after impressing in training against Nicholson, as the Australian prepared for an ultimately unsuccessful defense of her WBC featherweight crown against Tiara Brown in March.

Tia-Mai Ayton enjoys using her amazing knockout power

Knockouts can be rare in women’s boxing, just as they are less common in the amateur version of the sport. This did not stop Ayton from scoring nine stoppages in his 21 amateur fights, not far from a 50% KO ratio (42%).

In fact, Ayton’s desire to finish the fight early was a deciding factor in his turning professional, as he rejected the chance to join Team GB and go for Olympic glory.

he told BBC: “I had the opportunity to go with GB but I’m a family man and I love being with my family. I didn’t want to go away and go to Sheffield.

“I feel like the whole amateur style didn’t appeal to me. I just like to go out there and fight.

“I like to stop people.”

Ayton told ring She becomes frustrated with herself when she doesn’t get a hold, explaining: “Every time I go into a fight, I don’t think about fighting, I want to stop them and when I don’t stop them, I get very angry at myself.

“Me and my dad used to have bets on which rounds I could stop people in. Even when I was little, we’d say, ‘Oh, try and do it in this round’ and I’d say, ‘Yeah, okay’.”

So far in the paid ranks, Ayton has a perfect record when it comes to finishing fights early and scoring back-to-back TKO wins. He defeated both opponents twice, showcasing his punching ability.

His upcoming opponent Valdebenito has been stopped only once in 15 fights (8-6-1, 2 KOs), but Ayton will get a chance to stop the 32-year-old.

What does the future hold for Tia-Mai Ayton?

Of course, Ayton will not be allowed to win divisions and achieve his goals unopposed. Becoming undisputed at bantamweight could be as easy as winning a fight – as Kiwi Cherneka Johnson currently holds all four belts at 118lbs.

Ayton needs to win a few more fights before he can become champion, but the lack of depth in some divisions means the prospect could become a contender quickly. For example, Johnson lost his IBF super bantamweight title to Ayton’s fellow Brit, Ellie Scotney, in what was the challenger’s seventh professional fight.

If Ayton manages to become undisputed at bantamweight, he could set up a mouth-watering fight against Scottney at super bantamweight. The 27 year old Scot is slowly putting together all the belts at 122lbs, with only the WBA title remaining out of his grasp at the moment. If both fighters continue on their current trajectories, an undisputed-versus-undisputed bout could be possible.

Ayton has previously stated that featherweight is a division she has her sights set on, perhaps as she prepares for a proper fight with former sparring partner Nicholson. Depending on how long it takes for Ayton to move up in weight classes, fights with big names like Amanda Serrano (WBA and WBO featherweight champion) and Alicia Baumgardner (WBA, WBO and IBF super featherweight title holder) could be made, especially if they hold the belts that Ayton wants.

Ayton is still in the early stages of its journey but the hype is growing. If she delivers on her promise early, the teenager could become women’s boxing’s next superstar.

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