Mae Astbury: Beyond The Ropes

Mae Astbury: Beyond The Ropes

Defeat is a bitter pill to swallow for any fighter. At any stage of a career, it can be a devastating setback. But it can also make a fighter. With lessons learned, a fighter can regroup and come back stronger than before. Mae Astbury will hope that she falls into that category.

Everything was ticking along just nicely. After turning professional in 2025, the 27-year-old was unbeaten in three fights and was largely expected to continue that unblemished start to her pro career when she took on Alisha Lewis in April. Lewis was 0-4, and probably would have thought she would suffer a fifth straight defeat. But Lewis upset the odds, and edged past Astbury 58-57 after six tight rounds.

“I still want to become a champion,” Astbury told me a few days after losing her unbeaten record. “I have got even more to prove now. Not to other people, but to myself.”

“Nobody wants to lose, but it has just shown me how much I want it,” Astbury added. “It has just given me more fuel to get another fight in to redeem myself.”

Last month, Astbury got back in the win column with a six-round points victory over Klaudia Ferenczi. Astbury won every round and was pleased with the win and her performance. “Back and better than ever,” Astbury told me after the win over Ferenczi.

A victory over Ferenczi doesn’t necessarily indicate Astbury will become a champion. But it is most definitely a step in the right direction.

Like many, Astbury has struggled to get fights of late. Budget restrictions hamper many things. Getting fights at her optimum fighting weight is one. Astbury partially attributed the defeat to Lewis to that. Having to take fights near the featherweight limit has obvious issues. Going forward, super-flyweight or bantamweight will probably be where Astbury will land if and when the title opportunities come her way.

It’s that little detail that will determine the fighting future of Mae Astbury. If she can get the right fights at the right weight, her chances of title success are strengthened. If not, it becomes a lot harder.

Astbury will likely return in November. It will be interesting to see what level of opposition will be in front of her. There is no immediate rush for her. A couple more learning fights before any thoughts of pushing on for major titles would serve her well. The important thing is that the defeat earlier this year is pushed further and further into the rear view mirror.