Jasmina Zapotoczna: "Maisey is obviously a tough fighter, but I believe in myself. I am very confident in my skills, and I can win this fight."
I last caught up with the flyweight contender Jasmina Zapotoczna in February. It was just a few weeks removed from her first fight under the Matchroom bright lights. A short-notice fight with Shannon Ryan. One weight up from her more natural weight. In many ways, the odds were against her.
Despite losing her unbeaten record to Ryan, it was a fight that Zapotoczna announced herself to the masses. A close decision points defeat to the highly-touted Ryan, only enforced her own credentials. It was only a matter of time before the call came again.
Zapotoczna was originally intended to fight another unbeaten Matchroom prospect, Maisey Rose Courtney, until Courtney withdrew through injury. But that fight has been revisited, and the two flyweight hopefuls will finally square off next Saturday at the Copper Box Arena live on DAZN.
"My fight with Shannon Ryan was a big fight, but my coach always talked about a championship fight at flyweight, so it's a big opportunity for me. I am very excited and I am looking forward to it." The words of an excited Zapotoczna just a week away from the biggest fight of her life.
The manner of the performance against Ryan in February has only heightened the expectations of Zapotoczna. A fighter determined to raise her game to an even higher level. A win over the immensely talented Courtney will take her career to another dimension.
"I believe I am going to prove myself and showcase my skills and show that I am a very good boxer," Zapotoczna told me over Zoom. "I have had a really good three months preparation. I only found out about this fight a month ago, but I was already in training for my fight with Gemma Ruegg. So I am in very good shape. A win will open a lot of doors for me for some big fights."
The Polish-born fighter isn't just heading to London for the show money. It's a fight that she is confident of winning. Emma Dolan showed her the way last weekend with that upset victory over Shannon Ryan. Zapotoczna is intent on replicating the success Dolan had against her old opponent.
"Maisey is obviously a tough fighter, but I believe in myself," Zapotoczna told FightPost. "I am very confident in my skills, and I can win this fight. I know what mistakes she makes, and I think it will be a big win for me."
The whole experience against Ryan earlier this year has only increased her confidence and the taste for the bright lights of the big stage. The return to the DAZN platform will see a vastly improved fighter Zapotoczna believes.
"The fight with Shannon was a short-notice fight, and I think I did really well. It was a really good performance. I think it could have gone either way. It was very close, but it went to her. I have improved a lot since that fight. Being on DAZN and being on the big stage in that environment has taught me a lot. I enjoyed it and I think this time it will be even better. I am very confident."
Zapotoczna is friends with the former world bantamweight champion Ebanie Bridges. The Australian has supported her friend in many ways. Bridges is also a massive inspiration to Zapotoczna.
"We stay in contact a lot, and she really supports me, and I am really grateful," Zapotoczna says of her close friend. "A lot of people judge Ebanie on what she is doing on Only Fans and the other things that she does. But they don't know what else she is doing with her life. Ebanie is always supporting women's boxing. She is very kind and very smart as well. People in the boxing world judge her and say she can't box, but look where she has ended up. Ebanie became a world champion. I have sparred with her loads of times, and she is super tough. Ebanie made a goal for herself. She chased it, and she got it. No matter what obstacles were in her way, she still kept going and achieved what she wanted to do. Ebanie is very inspirational."
Zapotoczna could have been lost to music. Early dreams of hitting the right notes were there before thoughts of hitting anything else.
"Before boxing, I used to sing, and I finished music school," Zapotoczna says of those teenage years. "The first eighteen years of my life were around music. I was always dreaming about being a singer. But life ended up slightly different. I finished music school playing the piano, I sang for ten years and when I went to university I just stopped doing it and when I was twenty I started boxing. I am still singing, and if I had a little more time, maybe I could focus on it, but obviously, boxing is my world now."
Zapotoczna will head to that Olympic theatre looking to change her life. A victory over Courtney will do exactly that. Courtney is good. In truth, she is very good. But Zapotoczna will enter that London ring with ambition. And with confidence. She firmly believes that she will upset the odds. That performance against Ryan showed that she can't be underestimated. Even more so at her natural weight.
Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
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