Exclusive: Sara Jalonen Set For Pivotal Title Clash With Mea Motu

It has been over a year since Australia’s Sara Jalonen captured the WBA Oceania Super Featherweight title, and this Friday, August 1, she returns to the ring, putting her belt on the line in a pivotal matchup against former IBO Super Bantamweight World Champion Mea Motu.

The pair will face off in a ten-round clash inside what will be a packed-out ABA Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. After seeing three fights fall through, Jalonen is relishing the opportunity to step back into the fray and knows a victory over the WBA No. 3-ranked Motu will help propel her up the rankings.

Both Motu and Jalonen share a similar mentality in not backing down from a challenge and always being ready to answer the door when opportunity knocks.

“I think the point of doing the sport is challenging yourself. So what’s the point of holding a title if you’re not fighting against the best?” Jalonen said, speaking to Boxing Daily.

“It’s very much about that challenge. A chance to test myself against someone who’s legitimately a former world champion and obviously looking to have another crack. So yeah, I think it’s an amazing opportunity for me.”

The Finnish-born Jalonen comes into this fight riding a four-fight winning streak, and despite not competing for over a year, she has kept herself sharp by staying dedicated to her craft.

“I’m a personal trainer. I always train and stay at the gym; it’s just what I do and who I am. I’m also a big believer that when you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. So you have to maintain at least some level of training and fitness at all times if you’re looking to box professionally.”

Boxing is more of a team sport than many people realise. From the coaches to the sparring partners, no fighter who has ever won a world title has done so on their own.

Jalonen has trained alongside a who’s who of Australian female boxing, including the likes of Ebanie Bridges, Mai Soliman, and Shanell Dargan. In her corner on Friday night will be her head coach, Arnel Barotillo, who has guided her throughout her professional career, as well as Chy Chuawiwat, who coached her as an amateur.

Jalonen knows she will be facing a partisan crowd on Friday night but believes that once the bell sounds, the only people who can determine the outcome are those standing in the ring.

“I’m fully expecting yelling and rowdiness — [it’s] totally fine by me. I like shooting off the energy of the audience, but at the same time, I feel like once the bell blows, it doesn’t matter.”

For a fighter who enjoys the strategic aspect of boxing, Jalonen and her team will have been working closely on developing the right game plan to take on Motu. The stage is set for what is shaping up to be one of the biggest Trans-Tasman female clashes to have taken place in New Zealand.

“She [Motu] is very, very strong and very, very aggressive, and yes, style makes fights. So we’ll see what happens. I’m very excited to put my boxing skills to the test.”