The Teen Aiming To Be Youngest Undisputed Champion

"I tin decidedly do that."

Tiah-Mai Ayton, 19, has group her sights connected becoming nan youngest ever undisputed champion successful nan four-belt era crossed some genders successful boxing.

America's Gabriela Fundora was conscionable 22 erstwhile she held each nan world titles successful nan flyweight section successful November 2024.

Ayton intelligibly isn't awkward erstwhile laying retired her ambitions, but why should she? In complete 300 fights crossed Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu and boxing, conscionable 3 of those person been defeats - which she later avenged.

She will title her 2nd master boxing bout against Lydie Bialic connected Saturday.

When nan Bristol combatant was told astir Fundora's achievement, her eyes lit up: "I could do that. I tin decidedly do that.

"That's going to beryllium a caller situation for me. I've sewage a agelong time."

Ayton is right. She does person a agelong time, but women's boxing besides moves accelerated - conscionable look astatine compatriot Nina Hughes.

She won a world title successful conscionable her 5th conflict arsenic a professional.

Not only is Ayton mounting her sights connected records, but she's sewage her eyes connected golden and plentifulness of it.

"I want to beryllium undisputed successful bantamweight and super-bantamweight and past it goes featherweight and super-featherweight," said Ayton.

"I want to do those 4 categories, and I want to beryllium undisputed successful each four. It's precocious expectations but I deliberation I tin do it."

Only 1 boxer, Claressa Shields, has won each 4 world titles successful 3 different weights, nary 1 yet has managed it successful four.

The likes of Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano person paved nan measurement for women boxers to gain millions of pounds but Ayton isn't getting carried distant contempt her youth.

When asked what she would acquisition pinch her first patient conflict purse, nan teen opted against a flash car.

"I want a farm. I want cows, sheep, goats and chickens. That's my dream," Ayton said.

"I'll conscionable unrecorded a quiet life connected my workplace and past erstwhile I train, I'll spell into camp, and past spell backmost and beryllium peaceful."

Ayton signed pinch promoter Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing aft she caught nan oculus erstwhile sparring pinch erstwhile featherweight world champion Skye Nicolson aged 18.

At younker level, she is simply a five-time nationalist champion and won golden successful nan 57kg weight class astatine nan amateur World Championships successful Colorado past year.

She besides won nan televised Haringey Box Cup successful June past twelvemonth astatine nan 60kg lightweight limit.

This was each earlier a stunning stoppage successful nan 3rd information of her master debut against Sara Orszagi successful June.

But, contempt nan super-bantamweight wanting to make history successful nan sport, if it wasn't for puerility squabbles pinch her sister, she mightiness not person discovered her talent astatine all.

"It's really truthful silly," Ayton said.

"I started because maine and my sister ever utilized to conflict each nan time.

"My dada sewage america into kickboxing astatine nan property of six, and I conscionable carried it connected from there. I've ever known I'd beryllium a fighter."

Ayton was earmarked arsenic a imaginable potential for Great Britain's Olympic Games squad because of her awesome younker career.

She said "everyone wants a golden medal" - but nan style of amateur boxing put her off.

"I had nan opportunity to spell pinch GB but I'm a family personification and I emotion being pinch my family. I didn't want to move distant and move up to Sheffield," she said.

"I consciousness for illustration nan full style of amateur conscionable didn't suit me. I conscionable for illustration getting successful location and fighting.

"I for illustration stopping people."

The determination was made to move pro astatine nan tender property of 18 and successful May, she was signed by Matchroom.

Being signed by Hearn and boasting a 21-0 amateur grounds mean Ayton carries a immense estimation pinch her into her debut.

With braces connected her teeth and being touted arsenic nan early of women's boxing, Ayton felt nan pressure.

"I retrieve having a chat pinch my coach [Dean Lewis] before. We some had unit connected us," she said.

"Everyone has bigged maine up and erstwhile group lose, they blasted it connected their coaches, truthful we had a batch of unit connected us.

"I cognize what I'm tin of and he knows what I'm tin of.

"It's conscionable different time for maine really. I've been fighting since I tin remember. It's conscionable astir winning, that's each I attraction about."