From pageants to pugilism: Former swimsuit model Avril Mathie set for boxing return
Swimsuit model-turned-fighter Avril Mathie is planning a big year as she continues her fledgling boxing career, with her next fight set for March 2.
Australian-born Mathie remains undefeated after three professional contests, with two first-round knockout wins from her first two bouts.
But her third bout - for the vacant American Boxing Federation Continental Americas Female Bantamweight Title - saw her battle to a split draw against fellow challenger Samantha Salazar last October.
After that bout, Mathie posted to her fans on Instagram, saying: "As much as I wanted to win, I wanted to put on a f*ing SHOW. So even though the result wasn’t what I expected (a draw) when I heard everyone calling mine the fight of the night on Saturday night, it did put a smile on my face.
"Looking at the positives, I took on an opponent with more than 5x my experience and dominated, learnt SO much... and am still undefeated."
Now the 31-year-old is set to return to the ring again on March 2 against an unnamed opponent.
Mathie revealed the news via an Instagram post on Monday, saying her training camp starts on Tuesday as she bids to sharpen her growing skillset ahead of her fourth professional bout.
Mathie counts UFC featherweight contender Brian Ortega and legendary octagon announcer Bruce Buffer among her friends, and she is signed to management company MTK Global, run by British former European middleweight champion Matthew Macklin.
It's the latest step in Mathie's second career after she swapped beauty pageants for boxing matches.
Mathie was a star model who won a host of modelling titles during her career. She won Miss Hawaiian Tropic Australia in 2012, Miss Swimsuit USA International in 2014 and Las Vegas International Model Search in 2015.
But last year Mathie opted to leave the world of swimsuit modeling behind and embarked on a career in the ring.
And after 20 amateur contests, she turned professional and is looking to continue her undefeated start to life in the pros in 2019 with victory on March 2.
