August 25: Mikaela Mayer Added to ESPN Telecast
GLENDALE, Ariz. (Aug. 8, 2018) — Mikaela Mayer turned pro last year intent on helping shine the spotlight on female boxing. Mayer, a Los Angeles native and 2016 U.S. Olympian, will get that opportunity Aug. 25 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, when she takes on Edina Kiss in a six-round super featherweight bout, live on ESPN. Mayer vs. Kiss will be part of a special world championship event featuring Ray Beltran’s WBO lightweight title defense against Jose Pedraza and Isaac Dogboe’s WBO junior featherweight title defense against Hidenori Otake.
Beltran-Pedraza, Dogboe-Otake, and Mayer-Kiss will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+
Mayer states:
“Fighting live on ESPN is a dream come true and something I have been looking forward to since I made the decision to leave the amateur ranks and turn pro with Top Rank.”
“I gave up my dream of an Olympic gold medal to step onto a bigger stage and to help take women’s boxing to the next level. Now, after years of fighting out of the limelight, I get to showcase my skills on the greatest sports network in the world.”
Mayer (6-0, 3 KOs) has become one of the most recognizable figures in female boxing after making her pro debut in August 2017. Mayer, who currently lives and trains in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will be making her fourth ring appearance of 2018. Kiss (14-7, 8 KOs), a one-time world title challenger from Budapest, Hungary, represents Mayer’s stiffest professional test to date. Mayer last fought June 30 in Oklahoma City, where she used a steady jab to outpoint the previously undefeated Sheena Kaine over six rounds. Mayer also fought May 12 at Madison Square Garden on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jorge Linares undercard, shutting out the game Baby Nansen over six rounds. She started her 2018 campaign with a 35-second knockout against Maria Semertzoglou on March 10 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Now, after a half-dozen pro bouts fighting on cards alongside some of the sport’s best fighters, Mayer is ready for her ESPN close-up.
The ESPN+ broadcast will feature 2016 Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceicao (8-0, 5 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight bout against Edgar Cantu (7-4-2, 1 KO) and a pair of Phoenix natives, junior featherweight contender Carlos Castro (20-0, 9 KOs) and light heavyweight Trevor McCumby (23-0, 18 KOs). Castro will face Diuhl Olguin (13-10-3, 9 KOs), while McCumby will take on Jessie Nicklow (27-7-3, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
In other undercard action:
Antonio Lozada Jr. (40-2, 34 KOs), who knocked out Felix Verdejo on March 17 in New York City, will look to continue his winning ways against Arturo Santos Reyes (19-10, 5 KOs) in a lightweight bout.
Unbeaten 140-pound contender Arnold Barboza Jr. (18-0, 6 KOs), coming off a 10-round unanimous decision against Mike Reed on March 10 in Carson, California, will make his return against Luis Solis (23-9-4, 20 KOs).
Super welterweight prospect Sagadat Rakhmankulov (2-0, 1 KO), a former Kazakh amateur star who is managed by Egis Klimas, will face Christian Aguirre (7-2, 3 KOs).
Breenan Macias (2-0, 1 KO), from Goodyear, Arizona, will face Philip Adyaka (7-11, 4 KOs) in a four-round bantamweight bout.
Press Release From: Top Rank
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