Mikaela Mayer defeats Jennifer Han in IBF/WBO, 130-pound defense

It was El Paso, Texas’ Jennifer Han against defending champion Mikaela Mayer for the IBF and WBO junior lightweight titles Saturday night, April 9, on ESPN.

The fight, live from Costa Mesa, California, was Mayer’s first since she defeated Maiva Hamadouche by

UD last November to unify the IBF and WBO crowns. Mayer, 16-0 (5 KO’s) was making the 3rd defense of her WBO, and first of her IBF, crowns.

The 38-year-old Han, (18-4-1, 3 NC, 1 KO), came into the fight off a loss but it was at the hands of highly talented, undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor last September. She had made 4 defenses of her IBF Featherweight title before jumping up to take a shot at undefeated Taylor’s lightweight world title last year.

Mayer, an undefeated star who just re-inked with Top Rank Boxing, her career-long promoter, is working towards her goal of getting all the straps at 130-pounds.

Despite being the favorite against veteran Han, Mayer couldn’t sleep on her because at age 38, Han knows she has more miles behind her than ahead, and that can make for a very motivated fighter. 

However, in the end, WBO/IBF lightweight champion Mikaela Mayer (17-0, 5 KO’s) was able to successfully defend her titles with a UD 10 win over Han (18-5-1, 1 KO). Han suffered a nose injury early in the fight and had to deal with bad bleeding throughout but hung tough to finish the fight. Han showed a lot of heart and guile to hear the final bell but was out worked and out punched by champion Mayer. Going to the cards, the judges saw it by a wide margin for champion Mayer with scores of 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91.

Interviewed after the fight, Mayer was happy with her performance but made it clear she has her eyes on all the prizes.

“I feel like I did a lot of good things in there. Her movement, I think, is what she does best, and it throws you off. She gets her spacing in a little bit, so I had to throw her off and stay behind the jab. Coach Al (Mitchell) reminded me to stay behind the jab, set the right hand up. She would duck sometimes and make me miss. I started to go to the body. All in all, she’s a tough, durable girl. That’s why we chose her for this fight. We knew she would push me, but I feel like I did well”, she said.
 

As far as what is next, clearly, this is a girl who wants big fights and she wants them now.

“I’ve been pretty clear that I want to go undisputed at 130. (Alycia) Baumgardner and (Hyun Mi) Choi, I’ve been calling them out. I want either fight, but if they’re not going to give me that fight in a timely fashion, I’m game to go up and challenge the winner of Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor.”

Undercard

Undefeated welterweight Giovanni Santillan (29-0, 16 KO’s) TKO 7 Jeovanis Barraza (23-3, 15 KO’s)

Former WBA world junior bantamweight champion Andrew Moloney (23-2, 15 KO’s) TKO 10 Gilberto Mendoza (19-12-3, 10 KOs). Maloney boxed him, busted him up and stopped him late.

Featherweight Floyd Diaz (4-0, 1 KO) KO 4 Blake Quintana (4-2, 1 KO). A great body shot dropped and stopped Kearney in the 4th frame.

2021 U.S Olympian silver medalist Duke Ragan (5-0, 1 KO) UD 6 Diuhl Olguin (15-22-5, 10 KO’s). 60-54 across the board.

Bantamweight Jason Moloney (23-2, 18 KOs) UD 10 Francisco Javier Pedroza (18-11-2, 10 KOs). The fight was more competitive than the scores indicate but in the end the judges scored the bout 100-90, 99-91, and 99-91

IBF #1 junior Lightweight Luis Alberto Lopez (25-2, 14 KO’s) KO 4 Raul Chirino (19-14, 12 KO’s). Lopez called out IBF champion Josh Warrington after the fight.

2021 U.S Olympian flyweight, and good friend of headliner Mikaela Mayer, Ginny Fuchs, (1-0, 1 KO) KO 4 Randee Lynn Morales (4-4, 2 KO’s). Pro debut for Fuchs.

In the opening bout, Mexican Olympian Lindolfo Delgado (15-0, 13 KO’s) KO 2 Gustavo Vittori (25-11-1, 12 KO’s).