Fighter Georgia O’Connor dies at just 25

Former amateur standout dies less than two weeks after marrying

Georgia O’Connor boxer pictured in 2022, as she went 3-0 with victory in her final bout (Getty Images)

British fighter Georgia O’Connor has unfortunately passed away at the age of just 25.

O’Connor, 3-0 (0), was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer last year, according to her family. She had recently changed her name to Georgia Cardinali after marrying partner Adriano just two weeks ago. She had recently been hospitalised with sepsis, narrowly escaping death.

On Instagram last February, O’Connor said that she had fought professionally three times while suffering from symptoms that were later diagnosed to be an incurable cancer.

She wrote: “Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disease, which means that the immune system is confused and can’t tell the difference between your own cells and foreign cells, causing the body to mistakenly attack normal cells. I was upset to find out I have this disease as I’ve already been unlucky in the past with my health when I nearly lost my life from blood clots in my lungs.”

She added: “I recovered from that but sadly there is no cure for ulcerative colitis. However, since being diagnosed I’ve been on medication and feel the best I have in a long time during training, work and every other part of my life. My family and boyfriend have been absolutely amazing and I could never be able repay them for what they have done for me.”

It is understood that O’Connor’s ulcerative colitis developed into cancer.

“The last few months,” she wrote sadly towards the beginning of the year, “have been a rollercoaster. I’ve been pregnant with a beautiful baby, suffered a miscarriage, then got diagnosed with ‘incurable’ cancer. But I still feel on top of the world!”

O’Connor’s boxing career was a short-but-successful one. She turned professional in 2021 with a points decision over Ester Konecna in Newcastle. She followed this with fights in 2022 against Erica Juana Gabriela Alvarez and Joyce Van Ee, winning both on points.

The team at The Independent send our condolences to her family, friends, and loved ones. May her memory be a blessing to them.