Jones hoping to prove age is just a number
Jones hoping to prove age is just a number
Ioan Griffiths - BBC Sport Wales Fri, September 11, 2026 at 4:16 AM UTC
0
Jade Jones has defeated both of her boxing opponents with second round stoppages
Double Olympic Taekwondo champion Jade Jones is determined to prove that age will not hold her back as the 33-year-old prepares to box Hungarian MMA fighter Sheena Bathory on 12 September.
Welsh competitor Jones announced herself to the boxing world back in February with a second-round knockout against reality TV star Egypt Criss, before then dispatching Argentine influencer FederiKita in May to take her record to 2-0.
After her winning start, Jones, will now face her toughest test yet as she prepares to face Bathory for the Misfits super middleweight title at Newcastle's Utilita Arena.
Since beginning her boxing career at 31-years-old, the fearless Jones hopes she can inspire others with her journey.
"I wanted to show people that you shouldn't be scared of failing and trying. People do think 'oh you're 33', and I did start to feel like that at the end of my Taekwondo career, that I'm older now and I've kind of passed the line," said Jones.
"But with this growth journey I've been on, I've realised you are only as old as you feel and how old you tell yourself. I don't know how good I'm going to be, I could've got knocked out in the first fight, but I'm doing this."
Jones, from Bodelwyddan in north Wales, added: "I've only just started and I'm not scared to fail and hopefully it will show more people that you can start again, you can try something different.
"Your life isn't over when you get to a certain age. It can start whenever you want it to start."
Benn does not deserve world title shot - Garcia
Boxing schedule and results 2026
From Olympic podium to losing purpose
Jones is a two-time Olympic taekwondo champion, winning back-to-back golds in 2012 and 2016
Jones captured the hearts of audiences during the 2012 London Olympics, when she became the first Briton to win a gold medal in taekwondo.
She defended her title four years later at the Rio 2016 Games, becoming back-to-back champion in the 57kg weight class and etching her name into history.
Despite a stellar career in the sport, Jones discussed the difficulty of walking away and her struggles post retirement.
"People don't realise that when you're in a sport you reach the highest of the highs, for the Olympic gold, every part of my day was about winning that. How you sleep, how you eat, your mind is consumed with it," Jones said.
"Then you reach the pinnacle of the sport, you're at the top of the mountain, you've won the Olympics, you're the best of the best and then to go back to normal mundane life, it's tough, it's like there is something missing.
"I've always had that purpose, that drive, that direction and knowing exactly what I want and what I'm going for. All your day revolves around it, so when it's missing it's hard for athletes. Just two months after retirement I felt lost, it was tough."
Despite becoming a two-time Olympic champion, she could not make it a third, suffering early round exits at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and drawing her remarkable taekwondo career to a close.
But it was not long until Jones would take the plunge into the boxing world, one she is determined to shake up.
"Loads of people told me to retire and just go off into the sunset and enjoy your life kind of thing. But I still had that itch, still had that drive. I'm 33, but I feel like a young 33 and I felt like I just had a lot more to do," said Jones.
Advertisement
Jones was also recently diagnosed with ADHD, and insists that it has played a part in her becoming hooked with the sport.
"It kind of came out of nowhere, I thought I might try boxing, it maybe sort of started as a joke but I thought I'll try it. Well I recently found out I've got ADHD so that explains a lot," she added.
"As soon as I started, I was hooked on the improvement, hooked on the whole thing of entering the ring and the fear of it's just you and that person and someone could get knocked out and the thrill of it.
"I absolutely love to fight, love to train and love to try and become the best at something."
Tough test up next for Jones
Despite comprehensive victories in her first two professional bouts, her next opponent, Bathory, will pose much more of a threat than her previous challengers.
The Hungarian secured a first round knockout on her debut fight and has also competed in the controversial TV show and competition, Power Slap - which is part-owned by UFC chief executive Dana White.
Jones' first two opponents were social media influencers taking to the ring, and despite the challenge Bathory poses, she is relishing the opportunity to enter the arena once more.
"She's a really tough opponent and she's got a martial arts background. But I'm just super excited to get back out there," the Welsh fighter said.
"I feel like this will show another level to my boxing skills. It will give me a tougher fight and another opportunity for me to keep showing what I'm about."
Jones has been training under the guidance of Stephen 'Swifty' Smith and his brothers at Liverpool's 4 Corners Gym and is confident her experience will pay dividends.
"I've done it, I've been in that ring, I've got experience in that environment with that pressure, so it's about handling the nerves and doing what I've been doing in the gym with the Smith brothers," she added.
Beginning with her bout against Bathory, Jones must navigate the challenge of facing tougher opponents.
With that comes an added sense of danger, but Jones has brushed this off and praised the people around her for their support.
"It's a very dangerous sport, the more stories you hear of bad things happening, people going into comas it is very scary, it makes you realise it's a brutal sport. You don't play boxing as they say," Jones said.
"But it's you against them, everyone knows what they're getting into, you've just got to train your best and always protect yourself.
"My view is you can get knocked over crossing the street. Everyone has their own choice in life. If you've got the right trainer and the right people, you always try and stay safe."
Jones and Bathory will face each other on the undercard of Jordan McCann v Big Stacks on 12 September at Utilita Arena, Newcastle.
Misfits was set up by influencer KSI in 2021 to promote sports entertainment and is not one of the recognised world sanctioning bodies.
More boxing from the BBC
-
Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
Source: “AOL Sports”
