Megan Anderson Says No to MMA Return
Megan Anderson was not announcing a professional boxing debut when she discussed her future in February 2025. The former featherweight title challenger said she did not want to return to MMA, while describing influencer boxing as a distant possibility rather than a plan. Her comments came after almost four years away from competition and as she stayed connected to the sport through commentary and other work.
What Anderson said about fighting again
In an interview with MMA Fighting, Anderson said she had “no desire to fight anymore.” She explained that a return to MMA at 145 pounds would involve another difficult weight cut. She had recently started boxing recreationally with her trainer and said she might consider an influencer bout someday. She put that possibility at only about 20 percent, underscoring that it was a tentative thought—not a signed fight, a negotiation, or even a firm decision.
Anderson also distinguished an influencer event from a professional boxing career. She was not looking to face an elite boxer such as Claressa Shields, and she spoke about the idea as an option she might consider if the right opportunity appeared. No opponent, promotion, date or bout agreement was announced.
A break from MMA, not a 2022 retirement announcement
That overstated her statement. In a post that year, she said she had no plans to fight at that time, while explicitly leaving open the possibility of competing again someday. MMA Fighting’s report described her as not retired. Her February 2025 comments showed that her lack of interest had continued, but they were not a formal announcement that she would never fight again.
Anderson’s last MMA appearance was a women’s featherweight title bout with Amanda Nunes at the March 6, 2021 event. Nunes retained the championship with an armbar submission at 2:03 of the first round. The official event results record the finish. Anderson had reached the title fight after a strong run that included a first-round knockout of Norma Dumont and a submission victory over Zarah Fairn.
By February 2025, Anderson was working as a color commentator for Invicta FC, giving her a way to remain involved without returning to a training camp. MMA Fighting had profiled her commentary work just days before the interview. That role and her recreational boxing help explain the nuance in her answer: she still spent time around MMA and had started boxing for enjoyment, but she was not actively pursuing a fight.
The clearest reading of Anderson’s position was therefore limited. She did not want to resume her MMA career, but she had not ruled out every form of competition forever. Influencer boxing remained a remote possibility, not a next chapter already underway. Until a bout is officially announced, it is more accurate to describe Anderson as open to an idea than as planning a return to the ring.
Sources
Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
