Ryan 'shouldn't have fought' Mayer after paint attack

Mikaela Mayer (left) is now a two-weight world champion

Sandy Ryan says she "shouldn’t have fought" on Friday having lost to Mikaela Mayer hours after a paint attack in New York.

Following a fight week full of tension, American Mayer took Briton Ryan's WBO welterweight title via a majority decision.

Ryan, 31, said she was "unsettled" after being hit with a can of red paint as she made her way to The Theater inside Madison Square Garden, but still believes she did enough to win.

“Still trying to come to terms with what happened last night," she posted on X on Saturday.

"I know I shouldn’t have fought after I was attacked leaving my hotel but I couldn’t let them win like that. I was fighting off empty and still felt I won the fight."

Ryan added that her team has obtained video footage of the incident and are in contact with local police.

Speaking after the fight, Ryan, who was defending her title for the third time, said she believes the incident contributed to her narrow loss.

“I’m obviously disappointed, and I’m not taking [anything] away from the decision, but before coming to the venue I had a hit and run [with paint]," she said.

"And that was definitely set up."

Mayer, 34, said she was "shocked" to hear about the incident and that it had nothing to do with her or her team.

Two scorecards read 97-93 and 96-94 for Mayer, while a third judge saw it a 95-95 draw. It leaves Ryan to pick up the pieces of her second defeat, and yet another miserable title defence in the United States.

Ryan previously fought in the US in September 2023 and a controversial split decision draw with Jessica McCaskill prevented the Englishwoman becoming a unified champion.

Sandy Ryan was accused of stealing Mayer's coach in the build-up to the fight

Ryan started slowly against Mayer, who used her trademark speed and ability off the jab to build an early lead.

The defending champion came back in the sixth round, landing a big left hand soon after.

Ryan had another big round in the eighth, but Mayer was up to the challenge of her biggest shots and stood firm.

Derby's Ryan, who now has two defeats and seven wins, said the paint incident "threw me a bit off my gameplan".

"You saw at the start of the fight, I was handling her quite well on the jab," she added.

"I was boxing her and then I started to pick it up. But then, I was obviously pushing it too hard."

Mayer became a two-weight world champion with the victory, having previously been world champion at super-featherweight.

The American's move to welterweight has been questioned because of the 17lb weight jump, but Mayer, who suffered a controversial defeat by Natasha Jonas in January, has now beaten one of the best welterweights in the division.

“[Ryan] just couldn’t handle my timing, so, I felt like I won the fight, and I’m just glad I got the right decision this time," she said, referencing the Jonas bout.

“I want to finish what I started and go undisputed. I came very close at [super-featherweight].

"But my body outgrew that weight. I’m comfortable now. I feel like I’m stronger than ever. I’m still in my prime, as you can see.

"So I’m coming for the other champions."