Emily Mikhail Coleman Concepts interview on boxing weight cuts

The Emily Mikhail Coleman Concepts interview began with an unexpected reason for entering boxing: she wanted to lose weight after reaching 190 pounds. Speaking with Brandon Coleman, Mikhail also explained why she returned to coach Terry, why she will not cut weight for her upcoming Wonder Woman show bout, and how she hopes to reach Adin Ross’s Brand Risk after turning professional.

Why did Emily Mikhail start boxing?

Emily Mikhail started boxing three years ago to lose weight, not because she had followed the sport growing up. She said she had reached 190 pounds, the highest weight she had been, and joined a gym for exercise. Competition kept her there: boxing gave her an individual challenge she had not found in team sports.

From high school basketball to boxing

Mikhail played sports throughout childhood, including varsity basketball throughout high school. She enjoyed basketball but found it frustrating that her own effort could not determine what the rest of a team did. She had not been around boxing before joining, so the appeal of competing came as a surprise.

Finding an individual sport

Once she began training, Mikhail said, “I just fell in love with the competition aspect of it.” Boxing made the result feel more directly connected to her own preparation. That shift turned what began as an effort to change her weight into a sport she now wants to commit her life to.

Why did Emily Mikhail return to coach Terry?

Emily Mikhail returned to coach Terry after leaving her home gym to explore other training environments. She said the coach, the people around a boxer and the atmosphere all matter. Her time away also changed how she viewed loyalty to her original coach, and she believes they can now make more of her talent.

She described Terry as one of her biggest supporters. The two have been through difficult experiences, though she did not detail them. Rather than give a specific dispute or event as her reason for leaving, Mikhail said she wanted to look around and see what other gyms offered.

Returning was not simply a matter of going back to the same arrangement. Mikhail said Terry had changed his life and she had changed hers. She described herself as more focused now and said she looks up to him.

What did Emily Mikhail say about the Wonder Woman show?

Emily Mikhail said she had a bout coming up at the Wonder Woman show, an event held by Heidi. She was excited by its focus on girls’ boxing and said participants were coming from across the United States, including Nevada. Most importantly for her preparation, she said she would not need to cut weight for this fight.

Heidi’s girls’ boxing events

According to Mikhail, Heidi puts on all-girls shows and sparring events. Mikhail described the Wonder Woman show as a substantial gathering and said it was scheduled shortly before Thanksgiving. She did not identify her opponent or give a confirmed bout result.

Trusting her preparation

Mikhail felt good heading into the bout but resisted calling herself overly confident because she did not know what her opponent was doing in training. Instead, she pointed to her own sparring, running and gym work. Fighting without a weight cut meant she could concentrate on that preparation rather than arriving depleted.

How does Emily Mikhail manage running, work and college?

Emily Mikhail said one of her hardest training commitments is running after she has already finished at the gym. She also works and studies finance online as a college junior, but she does not view the crowded schedule as a problem. She likes being busy and said she would feel less settled without a routine.

Running when no one is watching

She identified the work done away from the gym as a major challenge: eating clean after training and making herself run when she gets home. During camps, she may train in the gym two or three times a day and still have a run to complete on her own.

Mikhail does not consider herself someone who naturally loves running. She said it became more peaceful when she stopped trying to match someone else’s pace and ran at her own. Even so, restarting that routine for a camp takes a push when she is alone.

A schedule built around boxing

A typical day, she said, can begin with training, continue at work and end with a run. Online classes fit around those commitments. Boxing, work and school take up most of her time, and she did not name another regular hobby. Rest days can leave her wanting to find something to do.

What did Emily Mikhail say about amateur boxing weight cuts?

Emily Mikhail said severe weight cuts hurt her performances in her last two amateur fights, especially the most recent one. She described arriving at a bout with shaking legs after restricting food and water, and said the short recovery time after an amateur weigh-in made matters worse. She intends to avoid a cut for her upcoming fight.

Her most difficult cut

For her last fight, Mikhail said she trained three times a day in a full sauna suit, ate perhaps once a day and barely made weight. She also described using a hot bath and towels by herself the night before the weigh-in. In her view, that was the worse of her two difficult cuts.

After weighing in, she said she had little time to recover. Mikhail estimated that amateurs may have about four hours between weighing in and competing, compared with a full day for professionals. She recalled entering the venue with her legs shaking and feeling deprived of food and water. Even when she could eat again, she said she felt full after only a few bites.

Mikhail believes the cuts were a reason she lost those fights; that is her assessment of her own performances. She offered direct advice to other amateurs:

Just fight what you're at because this is amateurs like don't put yourself through that.

What are Emily Mikhail’s goals for Brand Risk and professional boxing?

Emily Mikhail wants to compete more often as an amateur, build her record and eventually turn professional. One of her biggest goals is to fight on Adin Ross’s Brand Risk. She hopes that making connections and growing an audience now will give people a reason to follow her when she makes that move.

Looking toward 2027, she said greater activity in her amateur career was a priority. She connected that goal to her professional ambitions: more fights would help her develop before a potential move to the paid ranks.

Mikhail is also working on her visibility outside the ring. She said she had 3,000 TikTok followers and that posting there had already brought her connections. She wants to stay active on social media so that, if she turns professional, she is not arriving without an audience. Brand Risk is an ambition she named, not a confirmed booking.

Who is Emily Mikhail?

Emily Mikhail is an amateur boxer focused on technical development, disciplined training and competitive growth. She is building experience in the sport through consistent work and competition.