Kate McLaren: “Boxing gave me everything, and I’m forever grateful.”
Kate McLaren was scheduled to have fight number nine five months ago. But sadly, for McLaren, a serious eye injury stopped the fight, and maybe even her entire career in its tracks.
“I had a foreign object stuck in my eye, which scratched and damaged my cornea, the clear top layer that protects the eye,” McLaren told FightPost. “I was supposed to fight on 28th May, but I had to cancel it just a week before the fight due to the eye injury.
“That’s the million-dollar question,” McLaren added when I asked if she would ever fight again. “Right now, I’m focused on public speaking, advocating for women’s health, and running programs through my NFP: It’s Her Foundation. Boxing is tough, day in, day out, with intense physical and mental strain. For women, the purses are small, so it’s a lot of risk for very little reward.
“I’m loving embracing my feminine energy and stepping back from the stress. It feels amazing. That said, I have two great teams, Jeff Fenech in Sydney and Will Jones, here in the UK, so if the right opportunity came along, I’m sure we could get a training camp happening again. So, we’ll see.”
If her victory over Bojana Libiszewska in 2024 is the last dance for McLaren, the 33-year-old is still appreciative of what boxing has given her. “I feel incredibly grateful. Looking back at photos, my fights, and the amazing support from sponsors who helped me train and travel internationally, I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved. Boxing was my biggest dream, and it still feels surreal that it became a reality. Now, seeing the women I train hold my belts and light up for photos, those huge smiles on their faces makes every moment and sacrifice completely worth it.”
McLaren has a 5-1-2 resume, but maybe surprisingly, it is the only defeat on her record that she views as the highlight of her career. “My fight against Enja Ryan in 2023. What a fight. Even now, thinking about it gives me butterflies. It was brutally amazing.”
“Age catching up,” McLaren adds when I ask what the low point of her boxing life is. “Watching younger fighters train like they’re powered by an endless battery made me notice that hormones and age really are a thing, especially for women.”
Despite the way her career has seemingly ended, there are no regrets for McLaren. “None. It’s been one hell of a ride, and I’m so proud of my journey.”
If the boxing story of Kate McLaren is indeed over, she can take plenty away from her time in the sport. “Resilience and the power of the mind,” McLaren thinks, are the biggest things she has learned from a professional career that started in Australia in 2021 and ended with that victory over Libiszewska in Brentwood three years later.
If retirement is the next call, McLaren is showing no signs of sitting idle on the boxing sidelines. “I’m bouncing between Sydney and London, focusing on supporting women, running programs, and using my voice to inspire. Boxing gave me everything, and I’m forever grateful.”
Published by FightPost: MMA & Boxing News
Published
12th October 2025