Cathy McAleer sets World Title goal

Cathy McAleer [1(0)-0] isn’t here for the day out, she is in boxing to become a world champion.

The Belfast fighter might be new to the pro boxing scene but she knows what it’s like to fight thanks to a long combat career that has spanned karate, kickboxing, and mxed martial arts.

Indeed, she reached world heights in two of those three codes and misfortune denied her world title shot in MMA.

Now, she wants to emulate that success in boxing and the well supported former Down footballer wants to be fast-tracked to the top.

Speaking ahead of her second pro fight, McAleer, whose debut was an enthralling hell for leather showdown, told the Belfast Telegraph that “I’m in this to be a world champion and it would be very special to have come from a martial arts background and then go on and win a world title.”

The John Breen-trained fighter introduced herself as a real entertainer when she debuted on the Back in Belfast card late last year.

Her battle with the game and tough Teodora Hristova certainly got fans on their feet. It was a baptism of fire for the convert as she had to overcome an early cut and a compulsion to throw down.

McAleer recalled how “I got a bad cut in the first round after a head clash and it really disorientated me. I felt like I was fighting through fire to the end of the round.”

“But John reassured me in the corner and Eamonn did a great job in stopping the cut and I was able to settle down and focus on fighting hard to get the win,” added the 40-year-old before expressing her delight at an early graduate from the small hall to the Ulster Hall.

“Now I’m really excited about boxing in the Ulster Hall as a professional boxer.”

While the fighter is excited, she is hoping her ‘A Night to Remember’ fight tonight will be exciting but for different reasons to her debut.

McAleer is hoping to use guile rather than guts to overcome Poland’s Sonia Klos on the first Irish pro card of 2019.

“I’m feeling in good shape and I’m hoping that this time things will be a bit straightforward and I can stick to my boxing and do a good job.”