Mikaela Mayer is set to rematch Sandy Ryan in March, after Mayer controversially defeated Ryan following a bizarre incident on the way to Madison Square Garden.
Mayer, now 20-2, defeated Ryan in September 2024 by majority decision, handing the Brit her second loss. Ryan now sits at 7-2, though many believe she was the rightful winner, and was wronged both on the scorecards, and by Mayer’s team on her way to the event.
Ryan, whose only other loss comes at the hands of Erica Anabella Farias, was subjected to an attack outside her hotel room as she left to make her way to the fight. Red paint was thrown over the Derby boxer, causing much undue stress only hours prior to the biggest fight of her career.
The unfortunate incident almost meant the fight did not go ahead at all, but Ryan insisted upon facing Mayer, and feels strongly that her team are behind the incident in a bid to throw her off her game. Mayer, of course, denies this.
The pair are now set to rematch in Las Vegas in March.
Sandy Ryan vs Mikaela Mayer Poster
In the announcement for the rematch, a poster was released depicting Ryan and Mayer with a paint effect over the top of them. In the poster, Ryan is clearly covered in red paint, which many believe is alluding to the controversial incident that may have cost Ryan the fight in the pair’s first encounter.
On X, boxing fans were quick to make this connection, with users tweeting the following:
‘Is that red paint on Sandy Ryan? Call the fight off.’
‘Interesting colours. Let’s go Sandy!’
‘Always in your corner Sandy. Only PAINT on the Graphic this time though!’
‘Is the red on you intentional’.
Ryan will hope to right the wrong in March, and hand Mayer her third ever career defeat. The American has only lost to Natasha Jonas and Alycia Baumgardner, though both decisions proved controversial amongst viewers.
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The Controversial First Encounter and Fighter Backgrounds
The initial clash between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan took place on September 27, 2024, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, for Ryan’s WBO welterweight title. Mayer, a former unified junior lightweight champion and 2016 U.S. Olympian, entered the fight with a professional record of 20-2 (5 KOs), making her first foray into the 147-pound welterweight division. Ryan, then 7-1-1 (3 KOs), was defending her WBO welterweight strap, which she had won in April 2023 by defeating Marie Pier Houle. The fight itself was a competitive affair, with Mayer relying on her movement, jab, and combinations, while Ryan, the naturally bigger fighter, applied pressure. Mayer ultimately secured a majority decision victory with scores of 97-93, 96-94, and one judge scoring it a 95-95 draw, taking the WBO welterweight title.
However, the build-up to the first fight was overshadowed by a bizarre and controversial incident. Hours before the Madison Square Garden bout, Sandy Ryan was subjected to an attack outside her hotel room where red paint was thrown over her. Ryan strongly suggested that Mayer’s team was behind the incident, aiming to disrupt her focus before the biggest fight of her career. Mayer vehemently denied any involvement, stating, “Everyone who knows me, knows that would be out of character for me – it’s not my style. You can’t just point a finger when there is no evidence leading back to me.” This unfortunate event, which Ryan claimed unsettled her mentally and affected her performance, added a significant layer of animosity to an already anticipated matchup.
Prior to her encounters with Mayer, Sandy Ryan’s only professional defeat came against Erica Anabella Farias on March 12, 2022, in her fourth professional fight. Farias, a former two-weight world champion, handed Ryan a split decision loss in a 10-round contest for the WBC International super lightweight title. Many observers noted that Ryan struggled to keep Farias off her and neglected her jab, leaving herself open to cleaner strikes. Mayer’s two previous career losses were also controversial decisions: a split decision loss to Alycia Baumgardner in October 2022 for the IBF and WBO super featherweight titles, and another split decision loss to Natasha Jonas in January 2024 for the IBF welterweight title. Mayer moved up to welterweight after acknowledging that cutting weight for lower divisions was becoming increasingly difficult.
The Rematch: Mayer Dominates in Las Vegas
The highly anticipated rematch between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan took place on March 29, 2025, at the BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, with Mayer defending her WBO welterweight title. The promotional poster for the rematch, which depicted Ryan covered in red paint, drew criticism for seemingly alluding to the controversial incident from their first fight. Despite the lingering tension, the second bout saw Mayer deliver a more dominant performance.
Mayer, now with a record of 21-2 (5 KOs) at the time of the rematch, controlled the action with her jab and aggressive output. She landed clean, punishing hooks and asserted herself as the stronger fighter in the welterweight division. Ryan, whose record stood at 7-2-1 (3 KOs) going into the rematch, showed resilience, finding some success with right hands and uppercuts in the later rounds. An accidental clash of heads in the eighth round opened a cut over Mayer’s left eye, but it did not deter her momentum. Ultimately, Mayer secured a clear unanimous decision victory with scores of 98-92, 97-93, and 97-93, successfully retaining her WBO welterweight title and settling the bitter rivalry. Following the win, Mayer expressed her satisfaction, stating, “I sat on my shots more and committed to my hooks more. Those hooks were coming over the top. Sandy tends to stand straight up. She comes forward and puts the pressure on. So we worked on chopping her down with those hooks over the top.” Ryan, while acknowledging Mayer’s performance, still felt it was a close contest: “I thought it was close. I thought I was doing well into the start and then I got into a fight.”
Implications for the Division and Future Prospects
With the rivalry definitively settled, both fighters have since moved on to new challenges. Mikaela Mayer’s current professional record stands at 22-2 (5 KOs). After her second victory over Ryan, Mayer continued her ascent, moving up to super-welterweight (154 lbs) to face Mary Spencer on October 30, 2025. Mayer defeated Spencer by unanimous decision, claiming the WBA Super Welterweight title and becoming a three-division world champion. Mayer has openly stated her ambition to become an undisputed champion, specifically targeting Lauren Price for a unification bout. Lauren Price currently holds the WBA, WBC, and IBF welterweight titles, having defeated Natasha Jonas on March 7, 2025, setting the stage for a potential undisputed welterweight championship clash.
Sandy Ryan, now holding a professional record of 9-3-1 (3 KOs), has also found success since her second loss to Mayer. She rebounded with a unanimous decision victory over Jade Grierson on September 6, 2025. Demonstrating her versatility and ambition, Ryan then became a two-weight world champion by defeating Karla Ramos Zamora via majority decision for the vacant WBC female light-welterweight (140 lbs) title on February 21, 2026. This move suggests Ryan may be looking to establish dominance in the super lightweight division, a weight class where she previously fought Erica Anabella Farias. The women’s welterweight and super lightweight divisions continue to be dynamic, with top fighters like Mayer and Ryan pushing for unification and new championship reigns across multiple weight classes.
