Chloe Watson Returns in March

Chloe Watson Returns in March

Just one defeat can often leave a perception that a fighter’s career has already peaked. If a fighter suffers two defeats, especially two in a row, the fighting obituary of that particular fighter has probably already been written.

Chloe Watson found herself in this position in October. The Birkenhead-fighter had lost her unbeaten record and her European flyweight title to Jasmina Zapotoczna in March. Watson rolled the dice again seven months later when she moved up to super-flyweight to challenge Shannon Ryan, but when Ryan overcame Watson on a technical decision, Watson’s career was facing an uncertain future.

But rather than suffer in silence, Watson very quickly got back on the horse, and just two months after the defeat to Ryan, she impressively stopped the veteran Klaudia Ferenczi in two rounds in Liverpool. Ferenczi, a regular import for a British fighter, is an away fighter who usually goes the distance, and the manner of the Watson victory would have sent a little reminder to her rivals that her career still has plenty to offer. Ferenczi doesn’t get stopped easily; Watson will consider that as a little statement made.

Watson will have her first fight of the year on March 8th at the Liverpool Olympia, and those two defeats in 2025 will move a little further into the rear-view mirror. Despite those two setbacks last year, the 26-year-old is far from finished. Watson is more than good enough to come again, and the manner of those defeats to Zapotoczna and Ryan should be given the right amount of context. The points defeat to Zapotoczna at the Royal Albert Hall was wafer-thin and could have gone either way, and the current European champion is arguably a top-five flyweight. The defeat to Ryan was unfortunate. The fight wasn’t allowed to play out to a natural conclusion. Watson, due to an accidental head clash in the 3rd round, had a badly swollen right eye, and the fight was stopped at the end of the 4th round with Ryan getting the technical decision after the four completed rounds. Ryan started well, but Watson seemed to be getting back in the fight before the head clash brought a premature ending to the contest.

Watson (9-2) will hope that 2026 brings her the fights to get her back to where she was before the loss of her European title. There will be plenty of options for her at flyweight or super-flyweight. Watson would relish rematches with the two fighters who beat her in 2025, and the upcoming Commonwealth bantamweight title fight between Megan Redstall and Maisey Rose Courtney could also be of interest to Watson. If Courtney wins, a fight between Courtney and Watson could finally happen. Courtney has put Watson on her 2026 wishlist, and a fight that should have happened some time ago could finally get made. In truth, it is one of the best domestic fights on the female side of the sport.

Chloe Watson has talent, and plenty of it, and with a plethora of potential opponents out there for her across a number of weight divisions, the fights are there to showcase her skills at a high level. Fighters are too easily written off after one defeat, let alone two, and Watson is young enough and more than good enough to enjoy a successful second phase of her career.