St. Joseph fighter Katelyn Radtka announces jump to professional women’s boxing
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Pro boxing is set to welcome a veteran St. Joseph fighter to the ranks for the first time this fall.
After nearly a decade of training and competing on the amateur MMA circuit, primarily in Kansas City, local fighter Katelyn Radtka is taking her tenacity to professional boxing this November after announcing plans to unretire this summer.
With eight amateur MMA fights on her record, including four stoppage victories in her last six bouts, it's familiar, but uncharted territory for Radtka as she shifts to the world of boxing, a challenge she's eager to take on.
"I feel alive. Like I'm back to my old self and it just feels really good. I feel really strong. I'm excited," said Radtka, who doubles as a women's kickboxing coach at The Outlaw and Bear Den Boxing Club in St. Joseph. "Focusing on the training is the biggest deal to me."
Radtka's pro boxing debut -- set for Nov. 15 at the Showdown in Joetown IV at East Hills Shopping Center -- will mark her first appearance since a dominant first-round TKO win in August 2021, a fight that lasted less than two minutes.
The longtime St. Joseph resident, mother and Missouri Western State University graduate, known for her scrappiness and prowess in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has seen new life injected into her career after making the move to Outlaw and Bear Den Boxing Club early this year to coach women's kickboxing.
What started as a small group with fewer than five women quickly grew into a burgeoning class with more than 20 regular students, often supporting each other like family through trying times.
"When I got here eight months ago. I wasn't really in the best place. I had just moved back from Florida. My father had passed away of dementia and I wasn't making very good life choices. I needed this place probably more than it needed me as a coach," she said. "They have actually inspired me to where I am right now. I wouldn't be fighting if I hadn't had this class."
Now, she's motivated to inspire women to take up the sport or step into the gym, much like when she was a 19-year-old watching her first fight in St. Joseph 13 years ago.
“Ever since that day, I knew I wanted to do that," she said.
Radtka comes from a long line of athletes; the youngest of six siblings who practically lived and breathed competition growing up, whether it was basketball, softball or cheerleading.
With her pro debut less than two months away, Radtka is epitomizing the term "gym rat" as she spends countless hours each week drilling the finer points of boxing like footwork and head movement with coach Byron Polley, a well known former boxer from St. Joseph.
"Katelyn is very disciplined. She eats right. She doesn't party. She's a good mom. Takes care of her kids, goes to her job every day and then comes here and trains. She trains every day and works hard," Polley said.
Despite fighting in one of boxing's lightest weight classes at junior flyweight (108 pounds), the 5-foot-2-inch Radtka has drawn praise for her natural punching power by coaches.
"I'll tell you what, she has phenomenal power, like being hit by a man," he said enthusiastically. "She'll hit the mitts and I'll go 'Whoa.'"
It's all part of a rigorous and intense seven-day training and coaching schedule for Radtka, who begins every other day by running a minimum of three and a half miles, at times training as late as 9 p.m.
"Footwork has been huge ... and that is not easy. And it's actually very difficult to do. It's way more difficult to transition to boxing from MMA," she said. "Every little step matters. I'm working a lot on that."
Showdown in Joetown IV is set to take place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the East Hills Shopping Center in St. Joseph. The card features 10 amateur fights and a mix of professional bouts, including two female fights and a host of local up-and-coming fighters.
Weigh-ins are scheduled for 5 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Tipps Sports Bar and Grill.
