Mikaela Mayer vs Sandy Ryan 2: 11/10 tip for fiery rematch

Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan meet in an anticipated rematch on Saturday after a fiery first instalment five months ago.

Resident boxing expert Brad Walker (@brad_TWalker) has cast his eye over the meeting and put up an 11/10 fancy.

Mikaela Mayer vs Sandy Ryan 2 analysis - Champion's win doesn't paint the full picture

Neither the enthralling fight itself nor Mikaela Mayer's majority-decision victory was the major talking point when all was said and done in New York back in September. 

Instead, a bulk of the attention centred on an incident involving the then champion Sandy Ryan, who had a can of paint thrown over her by an anonymous figure on her way to the fight venue a couple of hours before the opening bell. 

Ryan (7-2-1, 3KOs) insists the stunt was a ploy from Team Mayer aimed at throwing her off her game, claims which have since been amplified by Mayer subsequently getting her hand raised later in the evening.

Calls immediately came for a second fight, both by those outraged by the incident and also due to the competitive, frenetic and thrilling 10 rounds which would later follow. 

It's fair to say neither fighter was the biggest fan of the other on a personal level beforehand, yet any animosity has increased tenfold after everything which happened first time around. 

Mayer, (20-2, 5KOs), now holds status as a two-division world champion following her win over Ryan, having previously held world honours down at 130lbs. 

She admitted the former Team GB fighter was also the strongest opponent she had faced to date, a claim which shouldn't be entirely surprising given that Ryan is the more natural welterweight out of the two. 

Originally hailing from Derby, Ryan entered the professional ranks in July 2021 and won the WBO welterweight title less than two years later in her seventh fight. 

IT'S A BAD BLOOD FIGHT WEEK FROM VEGAS 🔥#MayerRyan2 | MAR 29 | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/s9JpoTkRfy

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) March 24, 2025

Best bet for Mikaela Mayer vs Sandy Ryan 2 on Saturday, March 29, 2025

Mikaela Mayer to win - 11/10

Putting all of the pre-fight drama aside, the first fight made for an incredible watch. 

Neither fighter relented across the 10 rounds, though it was American's Mayer who was, in my view, rightly awarded the victory at Madison Square Garden. 

She looked the more consistent of the two across the contest, though what had happened to Ryan earlier in the night will no doubt have been a factor. 

The latter enjoyed spells of success throughout the fight but largely struggled to close off the ring and pin Mayer down. 

When the two exchanged on the inside, it was Ryan who took the better of it, but she wasn't able to close the distance as much as she'd like in order to do so. 

Instead, it was Mayer who was able to fight on her terms for the bulk of the contest, keeping Ryan at medium range behind a spearing jab across the first half of the bout. 

And even though Mayer looked to be feeling the pace down the stretch, she was still able to hold her own against Ryan at close range, hooking her way to a deserved majority-decision victory. 

Ultimately, Mayer looked the more versatile of the pair, enjoying success both on the inside and outside, which she will take confidence from ahead of the rematch this weekend. 

Ryan more than played her part but getting the current champion at a more than fair 11/10 price to win again is too good to turn down for me. 

She heads into the second fight knowing of the success she had from range, a tactic she'll be confident of repeating providing she has the engine to maintain it across the full championship distance this time around. 

Brad Walker's Mikaela Mayer vs Sandy Ryan 2 best bet