Weight Class: Lightweight

Mikaela Mayer

19 Wins

2 Losses

0 Draws

5 KOs


Age: 33 Date of Birth: July 4, 1990
Height: 5'9" Birth Place: Los Angeles, California
Reach: 66.5" Stance: orthodox
Mikaela Mayer Fun Facts:

Mikaela Mayer News & Events

Mikaela Mayer


Biography

At the age of 29, Mikaela is a two-year pro. A top female contender at 130 pounds, she was an amateur standout at the elite international level before her debut.

She fought nine times in her first 16 months as a pro – all wins, four by knockout.

In her last fight on June 15 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mikaela won a ten-round unanimous decision against Lizbeth Crespo.

Manager George Ruiz said, “Mikaela lives in Colorado Springs now. I think she’s been there about six or seven five months. She was living in Sacramento prior to that after being in L.A. for a while. Her primary coach is coach Al Mitchell. He’s in Marquette, Michigan.

“She trains at the Olympic Center in Colorado Springs. Mikaela wants to train at altitude – it’s beneficial to her. [note: Colorado Springs’ elevation is 6,035 feet]

“An interesting fact about Mikaela is that she was literally born on the Fourth of July. She got into boxing late in life. She didn’t start fighting at all until she was 17, when she started in Muay Thai. She only started boxing when she wanted to take a little break to rest her leg.

“Al Mitchell decided to work with her sight unseen, based on the strength of Michaela’s father’s letters. Coach Al had never worked with a woman before, so there was a lot of education there on both sides.”

AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Manager George Ruiz said, “I think Mikaela had something in the area of about 130 amateur fights. She probably had around 20 losses.”…

From the Associated Press [July 15, 2016 – excerpts]: Mikaela Mayer knew she was better than the high school burnout that she was in danger of becoming.

She had attended four schools in three years, repeatedly getting in trouble for fighting and bad grades. She was a 17-year-old occasional model with the self-awareness to realize she had no clear direction or future outside the San Fernando Valley.

“All I cared about was my friends, and going out and partying, and being a young, cool teenager,” Mayer said. “I was looking for something, but I had no idea what.”

One summer day, she realized something was calling her to the humble storefront kickboxing gym in an unassuming strip mall down the street from her divorced dad’s apartment. Instead of driving past it again, Mayer and a friend went inside.

The first thing she asked the trainer was: “Do you think I’m too old to start competing?”

“I was hungry for success in something at that time, because I wasn’t doing well at anything,” Mayer said. “I was like, ‘I want to be good at something.’ It’s always been inside me. I’ve always had that fire. I didn’t have anywhere to direct it.”

Mayer still doesn’t know exactly why she first decided to punch people after a youth spent participating in everything from soccer to motocross to snowboarding. Nobody in her self-described “family of hippies” had been anywhere near a boxing gym. After her first workout, she knew three different ways to throw a proper punch. And she liked it.

“I poured all my energy into it,” Mayer said. “It wasn’t ever just a part-time thing for me. From the day I walked into this gym, within two months, all I thought was, ‘I want to be the best female fighter in the world.’ ”

Mayer took lessons in muay thai and kickboxing, but she dedicated herself to boxing after a back injury temporarily stopped her from throwing kicks. She became a Golden Gloves champion just a few years later – and when the Olympics added a women’s tournament in 2010, Mayer and her father, Mark, decided to chase medals.

They heard about a boxing scholarship program at Northern Michigan University under revered amateur coach Al Mitchell, who has taught three U.S. Olympic teams. Before she had time to think, the L.A. native had been accepted to the program on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

“So, I quit my job, said, ‘Later,’ to my boyfriend at the time, and hopped on a plane,” Mayer said. “I had never been to Michigan, let alone the U.P., which is a ‘nother thing on its own. I remember flying in there and seeing all the pine trees and 10 feet of snow and just thinking, ‘Where the hell am I?`”

Mayer warmed to her cold new home, and Mitchell developed his first female pupil into a world-class fighter. Her bond with Mitchell and his fiancée became so tight that she had Mitchell’s initials tattooed on her right hand.

“The thing that makes Mikaela different is her commitment,” Mitchell said. “When she walked in here, I broke her down and rebuilt her. She never believed it was too hard, and she never gave up. She has toughness that got her this far, and now it’s getting her all the way to the Olympics. It’s an incredible thing to do in that amount of time.”

A year after moving to Northern Michigan, Mayer fell just short of a spot on the first U.S. women’s team, losing a decision to Queen Underwood at the 2012 trials. She only became more determined to catch the next wave in the evolution of her sport.

Mayer made the Rio team last fall only after fending off a ferocious challenge over three qualifying fights from teenage prodigy Jajaira Gonzalez, a fellow L.A.-area native with a wealth of junior titles.

“The competition is so much tougher now than it was when I started,” Mayer said. “Back in 2009, if you went to a tournament and even got to have two fights, it was worth the money.”

With an artfully bent nose from boxing, she still takes occasional modeling work, particularly for a

handbag company that sponsors her. Mayer returned to her original Valley gym last month, joyfully greeting her first coach – and Coconut, the adorable dog she gave up when she moved.

“I’ve always believed I’d be here, but I also knew that the chances of being here were going to be slim,” Mayer said. “This was my dream before I knew it was possible.” [End Associated Press item]

AMATEUR HIGHLIGHTS:

2017 PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS – Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 132 pounds – BRONZE MEDALIST: in the quarterfinals (her first fight) on 6-10-17 she won a 5-0 decision against Mirquin Jahaziel Sena of Dominican Republic; in the semifinals on 6-13-17 she lost a 3-2 decision against Caroline Veyre of Canada…

2017 STRANDJA MEMORIAL – Sofia, Bulgaria, 132 pounds – BRONZE MEDALIST: in her first fight on 2-23-17 she won a 5-0 decision against Aneta Rygielska of Poland; in the quarterfinals on 2-24-17 she won a 4-1 decision against Agnes Alexiusson of Sweden; in the semifinals on 2-25-17 she lost a 5-0 decision against Yin Junhua of China…

2016 OLYMPIC GAMES – Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 132 pounds: in her first fight on 8-12-16 she won a 3-0 decision against Jennifer Chieng of Micronesia; in the quarterfinals on 8-15-16 she lost a 2-0 decision against Anastasia Belyakova of Russia; from the Washington Post, by Kelyn Soong: So little separated Mikaela Mayer of the United States and Russia’s Anastasia Belyakova in women’s light 60 kg boxing quarterfinals Monday afternoon that the announcers were unsure who would be determined the winner as the bout concluded.

Eventually, the third-seeded Belyakova was awarded the win on a split decision to advance to the semifinals, where she will face No. 2 seed Estelle Mossely of France.

Mayer, a 26-year-old Los Angeles native, started the bout off more aggressively to win the first round, but Belyakova fought back to enter the fourth-round with a one-point advantage. [End Soong item]

2016 AIBA WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Astana, Kazakhstan, 132 pounds: in her first fight on 5-19-16 she won a 3-0 decision against Esra Yildiz of Turkey; in her second fight on 5-21-16 she lost a 3-0 decision against Yin Junhua of China…

2016 AMERICAN OLYMPIC QUALIFIER – Buenos Aires, Argentina, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in her first fight on 3-12-16 she stopped Kimberly Gittens of Barbados in the 4th round; in the quarterfinals on 3-14-16 she won a 3-0 decision against Caroline Veyre of Canada; in the semifinals on 3-17-16 she won a 2-0 decision against Kiria Tapia of Puerto Rico; in the finals on 3-19-16 she won a 3-0 decision against Victoria Torres of Mexico…

2015 U.S. WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TRIALS – Memphis, Tennessee, 132 pounds/double elimination tournament – GOLD MEDALIST: in the quarterfinals (her first fight) on 10-26-15 she won a 2-1 decision against Stalacia Leggett; in the Winners Bracket on 10-27-15 she won a 2-1 decision against Jajaira Gonzalez; in the Winners Bracket on 10-28-15 she won a 3-0 decision against Tiara Brown; in the finals on 10-31-15 she lost a 3-0 decision against Jajaira Gonzalez; in the box-off on 11-1-15 she won a 2-1 decision against Jajaira Gonzalez

2015 NATIONAL PAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Oxnard, California, 132 pounds/elite division – GOLD MEDALIST: in the semifinals (her first fight) on 10-3-13 she defeated Queen Underwood; in the finals on 10-5-13 she defeated Melissa Parker

2015 U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Spokane, Washington, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in the quarterfinals (her first fight) on 1-22-15 she won a 3-0 decision against Temitope Pedro; in the semifinals on 1-23-15 she won a 3-0 decision against Carmen Vargas; in the finals on 1-24-15 she won a 3-0 decision against Lisa Porter

2014 NATIONAL PAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Oxnard, California, 141 pounds/elite division – GOLD MEDALIST: in the quarterfinals (her first fight) on 10-1-14 she won a decision against Monayah Patterson; in the semifinals on 10-2-14 she won by walkover against Destiny Chearino; in the finals on 10-4-14 she won a decision against Megan Karcher

2014 WOMEN’S NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPIONSHIPS – Fort Lauderdale Florida, 132 pounds/elite division – GOLD MEDALIST: in the quarterfinals (her first fight) on 7-9-14 she won a 3-0 decision against Mioshia Wagoner; in the semifinals on 7-10-14 she won a 3-0 decision against Kristin Carlson; in the finals on 7-12-14 she won a 3-0 decision against Melissa Parker

2014 U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Spokane, Washington, 132 pounds – SILVER MEDALIST: in the quarterfinals (her first fight) on 1-22-14 she won a 3-0 decision against Franci Davila; in the semifinals on 1-24-14 she won a 2-1 decision against Melissa Parker; in the finals on 1-25-14 she lost a 2-1 decision against Queen Underwood

2012 AIBA WORLD WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS – Qinhuangdao, China, 141 pounds – BRONZE MEDALIST: in her first fight on 5-15-12 she won a 34-13 decision against Laura Matthews of New Zealand; in the quarterfinals on 5-16-12 she won a 27-10 decision against Meena Rani of India; in the semifinals on 5-18-12 she lost a 25-24 decision against Pak-Kyong Ok of People’s Republic of Korea…

2012 U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Fort Carson, Colorado, 141 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in her first fight on 2-29-12 she stopped Dianeya Nodarse; in the quarterfinals on 3-1-12 she won a 31-14 decision against Luvisa Matali; in the semifinals on 3-2-12 she won a 21-5 decision against Christella Cepeda; in the finals on 3-3-12 she won a 20-16 decision against Cashmere Jackson

2012 U.S. WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TRIALS – Spokane, Washington, 132 pounds/double elimination touirnament – SILVER MEDALIST: in the quarterfinals (her first fight) on 2-13-12 she won a 27-10 decision against Lisa Porter; on Day 2 on 2-14-12 she lost a 27-20 decision against Queen Underwood; on Day 3 on 2-15-12 she stopped Asia Stevenson in the 4th round; on Day 4 on 2-16-12 she won a 23-18 decision against Tiara Brown; on Day 5 on 2-17-12 she won a 26-24 decision against N’yteeyah Sherman; in the finals on 2-18-12 she lost a 22-19 decision against Queen Underwood

2011 U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Colorado Springs, Colorado, 132 pounds: in her first fight on 6-20-11 she won a 13-3 decision against Robin Conroy; in her second fight on 6-21-11 she lost a 14-12 decision against Bertha Aracil

2010 NATIONAL PAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – San Antonio, Texas, 132 pounds – SILVER MEDALIST: in her first fight on 10-6-10 she won a 13-3 decision against Tiara Brown; in the quarterfinals on 10-7-10 she defeated Ishika Lay [no result reported]; in the semifinals on 10-8-10 she won an 11-2 decision against Melanie Costa; in the finals on 10-9-10 she lost a 4-2 decision against Stephanie Han

2010 U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Colorado Springs, Colorado, 132 pounds: in her first fight on 7-12-10 she lost a 22-21 decision against Celina Barrios

STRENGTHS: Has good skills, speed, and movement…has good punching power…had a strong amateur background…

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 11 fights…58 total rounds…

AVERAGE LENGTH OF BOUTS: 5.3 rounds…

KNOCKOUT PERCENTAGE: 37 %…

Titles

  • 2016 Olympic Games – U.S. representative (amateur), 132 pounds
  • 2016 American Olympic Qualifier (amateur), 132 pounds – Gold Medalist
  • 2015 U.S. Women's Olympic Trials (amateur), 132 pounds – Gold Medalist
  • 2015 National PAL Championships (amateur), 132 pounds/elite division – Gold Medalist
  • 2015 Women's National Championships (amateur), 132 pounds – Gold Medalist
  • 2014 National PAL Championships (amateur), 141 pounds/elite division – Gold Medalist
  • 2014 Women's National Golden Gloves Championships (amateur), 132 pounds/elite division – Gold Medalist
  • 2014 U.S. Women's National Championships (amateur), 132 pounds – Silver Medalist
  • 2012 U.S. Women's National Championships (amateur), 141 pounds – Gold Medalist
  • 2012 U.S. Women's Olympic Trials (amateur), 132 pounds – Silver Medalist
  • 2010 National PAL Championships (amateur), 132 pounds – Silver Medalist
2018

1ST NABF FEMALE SF TITLE DEFENSE

1ST NABF FEMALE SF TITLE DEFENSE – in her last fight on 12-14-18 in corpus Christi, TX, she won an 8 round unanimous decision against Calixta Salgado (17-10-3): the bout was on the undercard of the Gilberto Ramirez vs. Jesse Hart II main event, and Mikaela dominated the fight; Salgado gave a determined effort, but Mikaela consistently out-boxed and out-worked her and landed the harder punches; scored 80-72 on all three scorecards…

WON VACANT NABF FEMALE SF TITLE – on 10-13-18 in Omaha, NB, she won an 8 round unanimous decision against previously undefeated Vanessa Bradford (4-0-2): the bout was on the undercard of the Terence Crawford vs. Jose Benavidez main event, and Mikaela dominated the fight; she pressed forward, out-worked Bradford, and consistently landed the harder punches; she rocked Bradford with a right hand in the 1st round and with a left hook in the 5th; Mikaela scored a knockdown with a right hand in the 7th round, and won by shutout scores of 80-71 on all three scorecards…

On 8-25-18 in Glendale, AZ, she won by TKO (2nd round) against Edina Kiss (14-7): the scheduled 6-rounder was one of the co-features with the Jose Pedraza vs. Ray Beltran main event; Mikaela scored a knockdown with a right hand early in the 1st round; she rocked Kiss repeatedly in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, and Kiss did not continue after the 3rd round…

On 6-30-18 in Oklahoma City, OK, she won a 6 round unanimous decision against previously undefeated Sheena Kaine (5-0): the bout was on the undercard of the Gilberto Ramirez vs. Alexis Angulo main event, and Mikaela dominated the fight; she consistently out-boxed and out-worked Kaine, and scored a knockdown with a right hand in the 2nd round; scored 60-53 on all three scorecards.

On 5-12-18 in New York, NY, she won a 6 round unanimous decision against Baby Nansen (6-2-1): the bout was on the undercard of the Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Jorge Linares main event, and Mikaela dominated the fight; she consistently out-boxed and out-worked Nansen, and staggered her with a right hand late in the 4th round; scored 60-54 on all three scorecards.

On 3-10-18 in Carson, CA, she won by knockout (1st round) against Maria Semertzoglou (7-3): the scheduled 4-rounder was on the undercard of the Oscar Valdez vs. Scott Quigg main event; Mikaela overwhelmed Semertzoglou with a series of punches early in the 1st round, and the referee stopped the fight at 0:35.

2017

Won a 4 round majority decision against Nydia Feliciano

On 12-9-17 in New York, NY, she won a 4 round majority decision against Nydia Feliciano (9-8-3): the bout was on the undercard of the Vasily Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux main event; Feliciano gave a determined effort, but Mikaela dominated the fight; she out-worked Feliciano, consistently landed the harder punches, and won by scores of 40-36, 40-36, 38-38…

On 9-22-17 in Tucson, AZ, she won by TKO (3rd round) against Allison Martinez (1-2): the scheduled 4-rounder was on the undercard of the Oscar Valdez vs. Genesis Servania main event, and Mikaela quickly overpowered Martinez; she scored a knockdown with a right hand in the 1st round, rocked Martinez repeatedly in the 2nd, then scored another knockdown with a right hand early in the 3rd round – Martinez’ corner threw in the towel, and the referee stopped the fight at 0:39…

She debuted at the age of 27 on 8-5-17 in Los Angeles, CA, and won by TKO (1st round) against Widnelly Figueroa (0-1): the scheduled 4-rounder was on the undercard of the Vasily Lomachenko vs. Miguel Marriaga main event, and Mikaela quickly overpowered her; she staggered Figueroa with a right hand in the 1st round, then scored a knockdown with a series of punches moments later and the referee stopped the fight at 1:15…