Maiseyrose Courtney: “I’ll fight anyone, but ideally I want to fight someone who has something of value. I want meaningful fights.”

Maiseyrose Courtney: “I’ll fight anyone, but ideally I want to fight someone who has something of value. I want meaningful fights.”

It’s been an incredibly frustrating time of late for Maiseyrose Courtney. A period of injuries and fights falling through has restricted her ring activity. Courtney only had two fights in 2025, but her return in December offered real hope for her.

After a low-key comeback win, Courtney was scheduled to fight Megan Redstall for the vacant Commonwealth bantamweight title in February. But luck was yet again against Courtney. A hand injury curtailed her big opportunity. “I did it in my last sparring session,” Courtney told FightPost. “It wasn’t even a week out from the fight. I was gutted. I couldn’t believe it.”

“It happens a lot to fighters, especially in their last sparring sessions,” the 25-year-old added. “Your body is breaking down. You are low on weight, and then you have your last big push. It’s the hardest week of camp. I was really unlucky. But it happens. It’s boxing. I can’t let it get to me.”

2025 is a period in her career that Courtney wants to put behind her. “It was terrible last year. I had a torn hamstring, and I had eleven months out. I was supposed to fight in October, but on the day of the fight, it got cancelled. I then fought in December. I thought I don’t really want to be doing a six-rounder, but I was just grateful to just get out. And then I finally got my title shot, albeit not at the right weight. But then I hurt my hand.”

After recovering from her hamstring injury, Courtney returned in December to defeat Sara Orszagi over six rounds. Despite the lengthy absence, Courtney impressed in winning every round against Orszagi. Courtney was just happy to be able to pick up her career again. “I obviously want to progress more, but it was good,” Courtney says of that fight. “It was nice to be back and get that ring rust off.”

Courtney can be guilty of getting too involved in some of her fights. A little too eager to stay in the pocket when she could have used her boxing skills to greater effect. But the flyweight hopeful is looking to change that going forward.

“I love a fight, and that’s something John Ryder and I have been working on,” Courtney says. “It’s not that I lose my temper; I just love being in the mix. I couldn’t do that in the amateurs because it was more touch and move. It’s annoying when I do get into a scrap, because when I do box, I am good. I’m going to try to box more. I have done it in some fights. When I boxed Gemma Ruegg, I boxed the whole fight on the back foot.”

After that desperately frustrating 2025, which has carried into the early part of this year, Courtney might finally be having a little slice of luck. The fight with Megan Redstall has been rescheduled for July, this time at flyweight. A division that is a much better fit for her frame. The WBO International flyweight title will be on the line.

“I’m over the moon, and I am so grateful to Johnny Clark, Courtney says of the Redstall showdown being rebooked. “It’s an absolute touch for me, being at flyweight. I was walking around under the bantamweight division. I wasn’t worried about it, but it just felt a bit odd. I felt strong, but I felt sluggish. I like the sacrifice of making weight. I don’t make flyweight easy. I still have to make the weight cut. I just like that sacrifice.

Courtney (9-1) has only lost to Jasmina Zapotoczna, who is the reigning European flyweight champion. Courtney was hoping she would fight Zapotoczna again when she was mandated to fight for the European bauble. But the opportunity just fell by the wayside. “I was heartbroken because nobody bid for it, and I lost my mandatory position. I was gutted, I was one step closer to redemption, and then it was just snatched away from me.”

Courtney wants a busy year; Redstall is first, but she wants more. “I only want to be boxing for titles. I would love the rematch with Jasmina, not just for redemption but to get myself high up in the rankings. I want to be fighting people who are in a position to put me into the position that I want to be in. I’ll fight anyone, but ideally I want to fight someone who has something of value. I want meaningful fights.”           

The rescheduled title fight with Megan Redstall should offer Courtney light at the end of a very long tunnel. Courtney could be forgiven if her passion had dimmed during those dark, incredibly frustrating times. But she hasn’t. Hopefully, her resilience will now be rewarded.