Kayla Allen: The Boxer Who Learned on YouTube Takes the Step Into Professional Boxing

Kayla Allen began her boxing training a few years ago. She taught herself using YouTube videos and practiced punching in her garden. Her rapid rise to the Great Britain squad has created a remarkable story in the sport.

Allen says she had goals in football, but turned to boxing during the pandemic lockdown. She says she learned the sport by watching boxers such as Mayweather, Mike Tyson and AJ. She then went to a local boxing gym and took part in several amateur bouts.

Her first major amateur tournament was the Golden Girl in Sweden, which she won. After a strong performance at the national championship, she quickly joined the national team squad. Allen says she moved into the England squad within six months and the Great Britain squad within eight months, and she credits this achievement to her coaches, herself and the systems around her.

Now a new chapter of her professional career is beginning. Allen, the first female boxer to sign with Zuffa, will fight her second bout on 7 November at the Zuffa Boxing 12 night, broadcast live on Sky Sports. She says she prepares for every fight with the same seriousness and aims to step into the ring at her best.