Nina Hughes' ascent to the top of women's boxing has been nothing short of remarkable.

Despite being a 41-year-old mother of two who works part-time as a secretary to support her children, she became the WBA bantamweight champion in November 2022 after just five professional fights, outpointing Jamie Mitchell in Dubai.

However, Hughes' journey to this point has not been as quick as it may seem. She has been boxing for over 15 years, starting with boxercise classes at the age of 25 for fitness purposes only.

It wasn't until her coach convinced her to spar and eventually compete that she realized her potential.

After moving to a women's gym, Hughes had a successful amateur career that led her to the British squad, where she traveled the world for tournaments alongside fighters like Nicola Adams, who eventually won gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

While Hughes missed out on the chance to compete in London due to her lack of experience, she felt that opportunities for female boxers to turn professional were limited, so she quit boxing and had two children.

She only boxed as a hobby to lose weight, but her passion for the sport never wavered.

After the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, which saw a surge in televised female fights, Hughes decided to give professional boxing another try and joined the Newlands gym in Wickford, where she made history by becoming the WBA bantamweight champion.