Mikaela Mayer dominates Han, sets sights on undisputed 130-pound title

Mikaela Mayer exemplified why she is one of the best fighters in the world

The unbeaten Mayer scored a dominant unanimous decision win over Jennifer Han to retain her IBF and WBO junior lightweight titles at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, on Saturday night. The bout was Mayer's first in her home state as champion.

The judges scored the bout 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91, all for Mayer, who defended the unified junior lightweight titles for the second consecutive time.

The win provides Mayer some options on her path towards a possible undisputed title run. Alycia Baumgardner holds the WBC championship while Hyun Mi Choi holds the WBA strap. Mayer also added that if those bouts aren't available, she would be willing to face the winner of the April 30 undisputed lightweight megafight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.

"I've been pretty clear that I want to go undisputed at 130. Baumgardner and Choi, I've been calling them out," Mayer said in a post-fight interview on ESPN. "I want that fight, but if they're not going to give me that fight in a timely fashion, I'm down, I'm game to go up and challenge the winner of Serrano versus Katie Taylor."

According to Compubox, Mayer (17-0, 5 KOs) landed 192 of 578 punches (33 percent). Han (18-5-1, 3 NC, 1 KO), a former 126-pound titlist from El Paso, Texas, landed just 63 of 384 punches (16 percent)

Mayer, 31, who resides in Colorado Springs, was cut in the opening round, but never allowed Han to capitalize on the opening. Mayer set up her right hand time and time again behind her authoritative jab.

In round four, Mayer bloodied Han's nose with a straight left hand and proceeded to dominate the rest of the fight.

"I feel like I did a lot of good things in there. Her movement, I think, is what she does best and it throws you off," Mayer said. "She gets her spacing in a little bit, so I had to throw her off and stay behind the jab. Coach Al [Mitchell] reminded me to stay behind the jab, set the right hand up. She would duck sometimes and make me miss. I started to go to the body.

"All in all, she's a tough, durable girl. That's why we chose her for this fight. We knew she would push me, but I feel like I did well."

Mayer once again advocated for women's boxing to adopt three-minute rounds after going the distance for the fifth straight fight. She has blamed her relatively limited number of knockouts on two-minute rounds, albeit it appeared she was very close to stopping Han.

In the co-main event, Giovani Santillan (29-0, 16 KO), of San Diego, knocked out Colombian Jeovanis Barraza (23-3, 15 KO) in the seventh round of their welterweight fight. Santillan fought near his hometown of San Diego.

U.S. 2020 Olympian Ginny Fuchs (1-0, 1 KO) won her pro debut at flyweight on the undercard over Randee Lynn Morales (4-4, 2 KO), knocking her opponent down in the first round en route to a fourth-round TKO.