Mikaela Mayer says she feels “unbeatable” and that her blockbuster unification fight against Chantelle Cameron for the world super welterweight titles won’t be close.
British WBO title holder Cameron (22-1, 8 KOs) faces American Mayer (22-2, 5 KOs) at the bp pulse LIVE arena on Saturday – live on Sky Sports – with every bout on the MVPW-06 main card pitting a UK fighter against a US opponent.
WBA and WBC champion Mayer has no shortage of respect for Cameron – who has won her last four fights since a rematch defeat to Katie Taylor in 2023 – but has backed her own ability to unify the titles in front of what is set to be a hostile Birmingham crowd.
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“I feel better than ever,” Mayer told Sky Sports. “I just know I just feel unbeatable right now. I feel in a great position and I can’t wait to get out to the UK and do my thing.
“[Cameron] is good at what she does. She’s an aggressive fighter. She lets her hands go.
“She fights at a fast pace and so do I. So that’s going to make for a very exciting fight for the fans.
“But I just don’t think it’s going to be as close and as much of a war as everyone thinks.
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“There’s probably a handful of people who think I’m stupid for coming to the UK and going onto Chantelle’s turf, but I’m just confident in myself right now.
“I’m fighting better than I’ve ever fought, smarter than I’ve ever been. And I just believe in myself.
“I feel like no matter where I go, I’m still going to kick butt. So it could be here. It could be there. I’m taking the win.”
Mayer pointed to her “versatility” as a defining factor come Saturday, insisting nothing can prepare Cameron for the new and improved version of the 36-year-old that awaits.
“I’m really hard to train for because I’ve developed so much these last 10 months of being in the gym,” Mayer told Sky Sports.
“I know I haven’t fought since last October but the things I’m doing now, it’s really impossible for Chantelle to have trained for me at this point.
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“I’m going to do everything I can to make it a very obvious win, maybe a stoppage, we’ll see, but I know I’m coming out with my hand raised.
“I’ve worked on making sure that my inside game and when I do press forward that my defence is tighter and I’m the one landing my shots. I’ll definitely be using a little bit of everything I’ve got, but knowing mine and Chantelle’s styles there will definitely be moments where it will be a dog fight.”
Mayer vs Cameron – fighter records
‘A win would be one of the best moments of my career’
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The 35-year-old Cameron won the WBO super welterweight title – a belt Mayer had vacated just months after beating Mary Spencer for it – with a dominant victory over Michaela Kotaskova in April.
The significance of the chance to become unified world champion by reclaiming the WBO crown is not lost on Mayer, with the American describing the prospect of victory as a career-defining moment.
“[A win would be] definitely up there with one of the best [moments].
“I’ve had a pretty awesome career. Even though I’ve gone through some ups and downs, I think that’s what makes my career even more special and what makes these big fights that are ahead of me extra special.
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“I’ve had to go through trials and tribulations – I’ve had to adjust, I’ve had to make changes in my team and keep continuing to get better – and I’ve done that.
“Going in there and having a dominating performance against someone like Chantelle Cameron, who is very highly respected – the only person to beat Katie Taylor – that’s going to definitely be one of the best moments of my career thus far.”
The upcoming bout may not be the last between the two, with Mayer revealing that a rematch clause has been included in the contract of both fighters:
“Well, Chantelle and I do have a rematch clause on both of our ends, which is unique, but if it’s the type of fight that everyone expects, then why not do a rematch?
“Why not give it to the world again? I have no problem giving a rematch when it’s, when it’s justified.
“Do I want to kick her butt so bad that she doesn’t even want to activate that rematch clause? Of course. But if she does, we can go again.”
Watch MVPW-06 in Birmingham, headlined by Mikaela Mayer vs Chantelle Cameron and with Caroline Dubois also in action, live on August 29 on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream boxing with no contract.