Monalisa Sibanda Keeps Fighting Spirit Alive Despite More Than a Year Without a Bout

Female boxer Monalisa Sibanda continues to show the discipline and determination that have defined her boxing career, despite spending more than a year without stepping into the ring. While some athletes struggle to maintain motivation when competitive opportunities become limited, Sibanda has remained committed to training and keeping herself physically and mentally prepared. The veteran boxer last fought in August 2025, when she lost by unanimous decision to Malawi’s Ruth Chisale. Since that defeat, she has not had another competitive bout, but the absence of fights has not weakened her connection to boxing. Instead, Sibanda has incorporated training into her lifestyle while balancing family responsibilities, church activities and other demands of everyday life.

Sibanda remains clear about her commitment to the sport and gave a simple response when asked about her current involvement in boxing. “I’m still in,” she said, making it clear that she has no intention of walking away from the sport simply because opportunities have been limited. Her continued training has allowed her to maintain the habits and discipline required of a competitive boxer. Although she cannot confirm when she will fight again, she wants to ensure that she will be ready if an opportunity emerges. That approach requires consistency because an athlete who stops training during a long competitive break can face significant challenges when the chance to return eventually arrives.

For Sibanda, training serves a purpose beyond preparing for another professional fight. She has also embraced boxing as part of her commitment to maintaining good health and physical fitness. “I also train for the sake of my health,” she said, highlighting how the sport has become integrated into her daily routine. Years of boxing have clearly shaped her approach to discipline, fitness and personal wellbeing, making training valuable even when no fight appears on the immediate horizon. This mindset allows her to remain active without making her motivation entirely dependent on a fight being scheduled.

The veteran boxer has also had to find a balance between her sporting ambitions and her responsibilities away from the ring. Family commitments and church activities form part of her routine, but she continues to make room for training despite those competing demands. Maintaining that balance requires planning and personal discipline, particularly for an athlete who does not have a confirmed competition date to work towards. Sibanda’s ability to continue training under those circumstances demonstrates that her relationship with boxing extends beyond professional competition. The sport has become part of her lifestyle and continues to influence how she approaches her physical health and personal responsibilities.

Her long-term relationship with boxing has also shaped the way she views her future in the sport. Sibanda is not focused only on extending her own competitive career because she is already thinking about how she can contribute after her days as a fighter come to an end. She wants to remain involved in boxing and help develop the next generation of athletes. Her ambition is to mentor young boxers, pass on the knowledge she has gained through years of competition and help create an environment where emerging fighters can improve. “I want to help groom future champions,” she said, underlining her desire to turn her experience into an opportunity to support other athletes.

That interest in developing young talent has already begun within her own family. Sibanda revealed that her eldest son, Andy, has developed an interest in boxing and has started learning the sport under her guidance. The mother and son train together, giving him an opportunity to learn from someone with extensive first-hand experience of competitive boxing. Sibanda has introduced him to the basic skills and fundamentals of the sport while allowing him to develop at his own pace. “We train together,” she said, explaining how their shared training sessions have become part of his introduction to boxing.

Sibanda’s experience gives her a valuable perspective when teaching her son the fundamentals of the sport. She has spent years learning about technique, discipline and the physical demands of boxing, and she can now pass some of those lessons on to the next generation. “I imparted into him the basic skills,” she explained, showing that her role as a boxer is increasingly extending into that of a mentor and teacher. At the same time, she understands that introducing a child to boxing does not necessarily mean deciding his future for him. She has made it clear that the choice to pursue boxing professionally will ultimately belong to her son.

The young boxer has already impressed his mother with his progress, although she remains cautious about discussing too much about him publicly. Sibanda described his ability by simply saying that he is “very good,” suggesting that she has seen potential in his early development. However, her priority is to ensure that he receives appropriate guidance and protection while he is still young. “I do not want to reveal much about him. I want to guide and protect him,” she said. Her decision reflects the importance she places on allowing her son to learn and develop away from unnecessary public attention.

Sibanda’s approach to her son’s development also reflects her broader understanding of what it takes to build a successful boxing career. Talent alone does not guarantee success in the ring, and young athletes require consistent training, discipline, guidance and support. Having experienced the demands of competitive boxing herself, Sibanda is in a strong position to help her son understand the fundamentals while allowing him to decide how far he wants to take the sport. Her role as a parent comes before any ambitions she may have for him as an athlete. By focusing on guidance rather than pressure, she can give him space to discover whether boxing is something he genuinely wants to pursue.

For now, however, Sibanda’s own boxing journey remains unfinished. She continues to train, maintain her health and prepare herself for whatever opportunity may emerge in the future. Her last bout against Ruth Chisale in August 2025 remains her most recent competitive appearance, but the absence of another fight has not ended her involvement in the sport. Whether she returns to the ring as a fighter or eventually shifts more fully into coaching and mentorship, her experience has already given her a role in developing boxing beyond her own career. Monalisa Sibanda’s continued commitment shows that a fighter’s connection to boxing can survive periods without competition, with discipline, health and a desire to develop future champions keeping her firmly involved in the sport she loves.