Two-weight queen Mikaela Mayer will defend her WBO welterweight world title in a rematch against former champion Sandy Ryan.
Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympian, rose through the junior lightweight ranks to win the IBF and WBO titles before claiming the WBC interim lightweight crown. Following a narrow split decision defeat to Natasha Jonas for the IBF welterweight crown, Mayer rebounded with a hard-fought majority decision over Ryan last September to become a two-division world champion.
Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs), a former Commonwealth Games gold medalist, turned pro in 2021 and, after avenging her first loss, captured the WBO welterweight title in 2023 by outpointing Marie-Pier Houle. Following a draw against Jessica McCaskill and a defining knockout of Terri Harper last March, her title reign ended at the hands of Mayer.
In the co-feature, Brian Norman Jr. will make the inaugural defense of his WBO welterweight world championship against Puerto Rican challenger Derrieck Cuevas.
Norman (26-0, 20 KOs) turned pro in January 2018 and went 11-0 in his first year. He secured the WBO interim welterweight title with a 10th-round knockout of the previously undefeated Giovani Santillan last May. He became the organization’s full champion after Terence Crawford vacated the belt later that year.
Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) enters his first world title opportunity riding a four-fight knockout streak that began in December 2022 with a second-round demolition of Esneiker Correa.
Rising featherweight phenom Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington will square off against Jose Enrique Vivas in a 10-round WBC final eliminator as the featured bout on the ESPN+-streamed undercard.
The action-packed undercard begins at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT on ESPN+.
Timothy Bradley, Jr., Mark Kriegel, and Bernardo Osuna will call the action.
Original Programming:
Two original programs will air across ESPN linear networks throughout Mayer vs. Ryan 2 fight week.
One More Round: Ryan vs. Mayer 1
Three-time WNBA champion Chelsea Gray and former WNBA scoring champion Arike Ogunbowale lock in to watch the epic war and 2024 “Women’s Fight of the Year” nominee between Sandy Ryan and Mikaela Mayer for the welterweight world title at Madison Square Garden.
The Good Exchange: Mikaela Mayer x Seniesa Estrada
Former undisputed world champion Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada sits down with two-division world champion and former U.S. Olympian Mikaela Mayer to discuss Mayer’s rise to boxing superstardom.
ESPN Original Series “The Fight Life” chronicles a year in the world of Top Rank Boxing through the journeys of five of the sport’s elite boxers: Tyson Fury, Naoya Inoue, Seniesa Estrada, Teofimo Lopez, and Josh Taylor.
ESPN+: On Demand Shows, Archives & Premium Articles
- Top Rank: Real Time– All-access with top fighters throughout fight week as they work their way to fight night.
- Who Do U Fight 4?– Learn what drivesthe next generation of Top Rank stars.
- State of Boxing– Post-show coverage of the biggest fights on ESPN and ESPN+.
- Best of Boxing Spotlight – An archive of the all-time best Top Rank fights.
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Mayer vs. Ryan (All Times ET)
| Date | Time | Event | Fights | Title (s) | Platform |
| Thu., Mar 27 | 4 p.m. | Main Card Press Conference | — | — | ESPN+ |
| Fri., Mar 28 | 4 p.m. | Weigh-in | — | — | |
| Sat., Mar 29 | 10 p.m. | Main | Mikaela Mayer (C) vs. Sandy Ryan | WBO Female Welterweight | ESPN, ESPN Deportes,ESPN+(simulcast) |
| Co-Feature | Brian Norman Jr. (C) vs. Derrieck Cuevas | WBO Welterweight | |||
| 7 p.m. | Feature | Bruce Carrington vs. Jose Enrique Vivas | ESPN+ | ||
| Undercard | Emiliano Fernando Vargas vs. Giovannie Gonzalez | ||||
| Undercard | Tiger Johnson vs. Kendo Castaneda | ||||
| Undercard | Emmanuel Chance vs. Miguel Guzman | ||||
| Undercard | Dedrick Crocklem vs. Dionne Ruvalcaba |
