When you follow boxing on social media in its current climate, all you see are reports of almost signed fights, sanctioning bodies being louder than they need to be, and bickering between two fighters, with them never seeing each other in the ring for an actual fight. We rarely get some good news that has been reported on until now. 23-year-old featherweight prospect Mia ‘Killer Bee’ Ellis (7-2, 6 KOs) from Baltimore, MD, will get a street named after her on Saturday.
Ellis is being honored on Saturday for her extraordinary public service to the community she grew up in. Her father, Kenny Ellis, and Calvin Ford are the ones responsible for training Abdul ‘Tank’ Wahid (formerly Gervonta Davis) to become a superstar but are also heavily invested in the community while offering local kids an opportunity to box at their Upton Gym in Baltimore. In other words, the apple doesn’t fall from the tree, and she looks to make just as much of an impact as those in her inner circle. When you ask Ellis, she is a little shy and humble about the whole experience. “I spend time at the gym with the kids and being myself, which is being a good citizen of Baltimore,” said Ellis.
Ellis getting a street named after her is a huge deal for anyone as that doesn’t happen often.” It’s a street (Francis Street) I grew up on in West Baltimore. I lived there my whole life. It’s an honor to get a street named after me that I grew up on.” Ellis added, “When I got the news, I was excited. When I actually see the sign, I think that’s when it’ll hit me that a whole street is named after me.”
Although her big day is Saturday, Ellis stays in the gym preparing for her next fight on March 14 in Nashville, TN. Last year ended with a tough, majority decision loss in December, but she is highly motivated to compete between featherweight and super featherweight this year. Ellis hopes to fight four times this year and earn a world title shot by the end of this year or early 2025.
Until then, Ellis wants to acknowledge the people of Baltimore, MD. “I really appreciate the support. It helps me a lot in and out of the ring. The support in my city is crazy. A lot of people hear about the negativity, but there is a lot of positivity here in Baltimore.” From those who support her are girls of all ages who look to be Ellis one day as a fighter and an impact in their community. Ellis has a message for them: “You can do whatever you put your mind to. You just have to work for it.”
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