Kirjonen takes No.1 ranking

HER professional boxing career is only five fights old but Malin “Morgan” Kirjonen is already the number one ranked light welterweight in Australia.

Malin Kirjonen won in Sydney despite a lack of preparation. Picture: Darryn Smith

HER professional boxing career is only five fights old but Malin “Morgan” Kirjonen is already the number one ranked light welterweight in Australia.

Caloundra’s Kirjonen grasped top ranking after accounting for glamour boxer and former water-ski world champion Lauryn Eagle in Sydney at the weekend.

Kirjonen fielded a call from the fight promoters late last week asking her to step into the ring against Eagle and despite having to shed 4kg she proved too strong.

She now has her eyes set on Hannah Upton, a Brisbane kick boxer who she will face on Friday night at Caloundra RSL.

It will be Kirjonen’s last fight before she takes a well-earned break and heads back to Sweden.

“I know she’s (Upton) a tough kick fighter but I haven’t seen her fight,” Kirjonen said.

“Most kick fighters are pretty tough.”

Kirjonen went into the Eagle fight with little preparation.

She was also feeling weak after having to drop so much weight in a short amount of time.

“I knew she (Eagle) was very active in the ring. She’s been like that in all her fights,” she said.

“It was going to be hard to get the decision because it was her home fight but I got it.

“Because I lost so much weight and I didn’t have weeks to prepare it was hard. I also just came off a title fight and was only just getting back into training.

“That made it hard. I would have been more alert normally but I still won.”

The Kirjonen-Upton bout on Friday will take place on the undercard of Israel Kani’s return to the ring, while Caloundra’s Craig Hill Junior will be making his professional debut after 18 amateur bouts.

Kirjonen is hoping to face former Gladiators television star Sarah Howett later this year.

Howett was the number one ranked light welterweight before Kirjonen took the mantle.

Originally published as Kirjonen takes No.1 ranking