Featherweight champ dominant force in the ring
She’s Canada’s most decorated female boxer, but Jelena Mrdjenovich is the first to admit that she hasn’t performed in the ring as strong as she knows she can.
But it’s amazing what good health can do.
Three months ago, Mrdjenovich answered the bell in a big way and got redemption in a dominating unanimous decision victory over Edith Soledad Matthysse to reclaim the WBC and WBA featherweight titles.
Now, she’s set to defend both titles on Oct. 8 when she travels to France to take on Gaelle Amand, who is undefeated as a pro boxer (14-0).
“Going into my last fight, I was probably the healthiest I’ve been in three years,” said Mrdjenovich earlier this week. “Going into this fight, already I feel like I have built upon (that win) and I feel healthier and stronger than I have in a long time.
“I think you’ll see that Jelena that comes out and doesn’t just smother the girls in the corner to make them quit ... but the Jelena that knocks them out and puts them to sleep.”
Mrdjenovich holds a 36-10-1 record with 19 knockouts, and she’s won eight of her last nine fights, but she pushed through in a big way against Matthysse to reclaim her belts.
It was an all-out war, and Mrdjenovich got stronger as the fight wore on, almost knocking out Matthysse twice in the late rounds.
We’re seeing Mrdjenovich’s power return to a level that made her so dominant for most of her career.
“I’ve always had that power in my punches, but it’s the explosive power that I was missing, and I’ve been working on that … because up until this last fight, I wasn’t happy with my fights since the last Hernandez fight (in May 2013),” said Mrdjenovich.
“I was down (mentally) before my last fight ... Winning that last fight helped me get back mentally where I need to be.”
Amand poses a different challenge for Mrdjenovich. The French fighter doesn’t possess knockout power (1 knockout) but will grind fights out.
“She hasn’t fought anyone of my calibre, or my power, but she certainly brings different challenges. ... I’m very confident heading into this fight,” said Mrdjenovich.
Heading overseas isn’t anything new for Mrdjenovich. Opportunities like this don’t happen often for her.
This is just her fourth fight outside of Canada in her 13-year career. She previously fought in Argentina, Panama and Japan.
“I love it. I live for it. You always go into someone else’s backyard as the underdog and whether I’m a world champion or not, I consider myself the underdog,” said Mrdjenovich. LONG WAIT OVER: Edmonton’s Brad Switzer has waited for this moment for six years, and now it’s here. Friday night, at KO Boxing’s K.O. 75 fight card at the Shaw Conference; he’ll officially be a pro boxer. The 6-foot-10, 305 lb. fighter will make his debut against fellow Edmontonian Patrick Graham in one of three heavyweight fights on the card.
The main event on the card features Red Deer’s Cam O’Connell (10-0-1) taking on Hungary’s Bence Molnar (16-7) in the lightweight division.