Make FightsATW Your Preferred Combat Sports Source
Enjoy our boxing and wrestling coverage? Add Fights Around The World as a Preferred Source on Google so our latest stories can show up more often in your Top Stories.
Add FightsATW on GoogleWomen’s super flyweight contender Mai Soliman will make her U.S. debut Saturday night at the “Championing for Mental Health 3” event, live on UFC Fight Pass. Her opponent is Maria Micheo Santizo (14-7-1, 8 KOs), and they headline the card with a WBC title shot on the line for the winner.
The 28-year-old Soliman (10-2, 6 KOs), from Cairo, Egypt, but residing in Sydney, Australia, was introduced to fight fans worldwide in May when she fought on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven in front of the pyramids in Egypt. That night, Soliman didn’t pick up the win, but she did get the opportunity to fight in her homeland, which had seemed like a dream only a few months prior.
“It was something like what every boxer dreams of, and for me, this was very, very special because I’ve always wanted to fight in front of the pyramids,” Soliman told FightsATW. “I don’t know how many times I spoke about it in the past. I was even thinking in a crazy way, doing it myself.
“I spoke about it on a podcast at the end of last year, and His Excellency Turki [Alalshikh] had seen that podcast. He shared it around. About a month or two later, he announced [Oleksandr] Usyk vs Rico [Verhoeven] in front of the pyramids. About a week and a half later, I got a phone call, and they were like, ‘Hey, HE wants you to fight for a world title in front of the pyramids,’ and I was like, ‘That’s crazy.’”
Although she lost to the lineal champion Mizuki Hiruta that night, it was a hard-fought battle that fight fans won’t soon forget. For Soliman, it was the experience she needed at this point in her career, and she looks to use it moving forward.
“It’s probably the experience that I needed,” she said. “You are given an opportunity, and you have to step up and raise the bar higher. Given the performance, I did that, even though I didn’t walk away with the win. I did think the scorecards were a little biased in terms of how they scored it. Either way, I just wanted to show a lot of people that if there is something you really want, put your mind to it, and you will achieve it.”
Where one door closed, another opened. During that time in Egypt, Soliman and her team spoke with Canelo’s trainer, Eddy Reynoso, about the possibility of flying to San Diego to prepare for the next fight. The request was approved without issue, as there was already a relationship between Soliman’s trainer and Reynoso from years past.
“My coach, Mick Akkawy, who is obviously here with me from Australia, had a connection with Eddy Reynoso given his son, Bilal Akkawy, used to spar Canelo Alvarez in the past,” said Soliman. “He had that connection with them, and they were in Egypt at the time [in May]. We spoke to them and said we have a fight in the U.S., and I would love to get that work in San Diego. It was about time that I got out of Australia and move with different styles in terms of sparring. That was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’ve been here over a month, and it’s been great.”
Being down in San Diego and training at Reynoso’s new gym with other world-class athletes has forced Soliman to raise the level of her training. When you are working near guys like Canelo and Jaime Munguia, the pressure hits instantly, and Soliman recognized it right away.
“Everyone is working hard together,” she said. “Seeing Canelo in person, and also Jaime [Munguia], you feel like you’re forced to raise that bar higher and higher. Seeing how they approach training, not just physically but mentally as well. You pick up on these things, and it’s like you’re picking up pointers for yourself.”
Soliman added, “I’m very grateful to Eddy and his team for opening their doors to me.”
On Saturday night in L.A., live on the UFC Fight Pass, Soliman aims to carry the momentum she built in Egypt into this fight, as a win would put her right back into a title fight. “This is my first fight in the U.S. I’m very excited, and this will be my best performance.”
Discover more from Fights Around The World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
