Fight Academy’s Katie Healy gets an unexpected chance-of-a-lifetime on June 10th when she faces Billericay’s Nina Hughes for her WBA World Bantamweight Title at London’s Wembley Arena live on DAZN.
A former world champion in kickboxing, Katie is undefeated since turning pro in 2021, racking up six wins on the trot and even winning a version of the world title – the WBF World Super Bantamweight crown – in just her fifth fight; away from home in South Africa in July last year.
Amazingly and in a neat coincidence, Nina also won the WBA belt she’ll be defending for the first time against Healy in just her fifth fight too, in November 2022, and also away from home (in Dubai).
Hughes’ story is quite remarkable considering the 41-year-old mum of two didn’t even put on a pair of gloves until she was 25. A top amateur who boxed for Great Britain, Hughes then quit the sport before getting the bug back again, turning pro in December 2021 … and the rest is history.
Our Katie though has a great chance of stealing the show. The 25-year-old from Wolverhampton, who works in HR at the Goodyear Tyre Company, believes she has served her apprenticeship in the sport and says she is ready to shine on the big stage and cause an upset.
“I am ecstatic to get this opportunity,” said the Midlander. “I was actually just about to start a strength and conditioning session when I got the call, and my body was struck with so much excitement I couldn’t stop shaking!
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that I couldn’t turn down and it felt like it came at the perfect time. I’ve had a great career so far but I’m ready to step my game up now and take on these big opportunities.
I just want to say a massive thank you to Dennis Hobson and the team for this opportunity. They’ve supported me since day one and after just four fights I flew to South Africa to win the WBF Super Bantamweight World Title and now after six fights I’m fighting on a huge show for a WBA World Bantamweight title… life doesn’t get much better than this!
“It’s a tough fight, of course. I’ve never sparred Nina, but I’ve watched some of her fights. She is a very talented fighter. I think me and Nina have very different styles which is going to make this fight an entertaining one.
“I believe in myself, I always have. At the end of the day, all I can do is put my all into the fight and whatever happens will happen. But I’m confident in my ability and I genuinely love being in that ring which I believe makes all the difference.
“I also really enjoy being an underdog, there is no better feeling than proving people wrong! I respect any fighter that steps through those ropes but at the end of the day, we are all going in there for the win and that’s what I aim to do. I truly believe that this belt will be coming back to the West Midlands – I’ll give it my all.”
