Charlotte Johnson: “I’m focused on the work I need to do, and those opportunities will present themselves accordingly.”

Charlotte Johnson: “I’m focused on the work I need to do, and those opportunities will present themselves accordingly.”

I last spoke to Charlotte Johnson in the summer. Developing nicely as an amateur, the Australian light-flyweight had no immediate plans to turn professional. But plans change. Earlier this month, Johnson made her professional debut, stopping Khwunchit Khunya in the fourth round of a scheduled six-rounder at the Gatton Shire Hall, Gatton.

“I had planned on finishing off the year strong at the amateur nationals at the end of November,” Johnson told FightPost. “Unfortunately, there were no competitors in my weight class or the weight class above. My coach then sat me down at the end of training during the week leading up to the nationals and told me the unfortunate news. I certainly didn’t expect his next words to be, “So we’re going pro.”

The idea to turn professional came somewhat out of the blue, even to the fighter herself. “Like I’d mentioned the last time we caught up, this is something we had planned for 2026,” Johnson added. “But my mind had been so focused on the nationals that the following year’s plans hadn’t even crossed my mind all the way through training camp. When I say I trust my coach 100%, I mean it. He could put me into a fight tomorrow, and I would feel comfortable knowing that’s where I need to be.”

The professional debut couldn’t have gone any better for Johnson, and she told me that she was pleased with her maiden victory in the paid ranks. “I’m really happy with the way I performed. I’m glad we debuted over six rounds. The fight went so fast that I felt as if I didn’t have enough time to display everything I wanted to; however, despite that, I’m happy with my composure and strong finish in the fourth round.”

Charlotte Johnson is at the start of her boxing journey, and the 25-year-old has full faith and trust in her inner circle to guide her well over the coming years. Johnson wants to learn her craft with a steady stream of fights over the next year or so.

“The plan going forward is to remain active,” Johnson relayed to me. “Ideally, I want to be able to have four fights in 2026. In terms of the finer details, this is up to my coach and manager, and I’ll keep doing what I do, which is showing up for myself. Ultimately, this is where the opportunities arise. Like I said the last time we spoke, I don’t have titles or specifics in mind right now. I’m focused on the work I need to do, and those opportunities will present themselves accordingly.”