Professional boxer Georgia O’Connor has passed away at just 25 years old, only months after being diagnosed with cancer and two weeks after marrying her longtime boyfriend.
Boxxer, the pro boxing promoter, confirmed her death in a statement released to The Guardian on Thursday, May 22.
“We are heartbroken by the passing of Georgia O’Connor,” the statement read. “A true warrior inside and outside the ring, the boxing community has lost a talented, courageous and determined young woman far too soon.”
“Georgia was loved, respected, and admired by her friends here at Boxxer,” it continued. “Our thoughts are with her loved ones during this difficult time.”
O’Connor announced her marriage to boyfriend Adriano Cardinali on Instagram on May 12, sharing a photo of their hands with wedding rings and writing, “09.05.2025. The day I married the love of my life.”
In January, she revealed her cancer diagnosis after months of doctors allegedly dismissing her symptoms, including intense pain.
“For 17 weeks since early October, I’ve been in constant pain, going back and forth between Durham and Newcastle RVI A&E, knowing something was seriously wrong,” she wrote on Instagram on January 31. “I said from the start I felt it was cancer. I KNEW the risks. I have colitis and PSC, two diseases that dramatically increase the chances of getting it. I KNOW how high my risk is and they do too.”
She continued, “But not one doctor listened to me. Not one took me seriously. I begged for scans and blood tests while in agony, but they dismissed me. They gaslit me, told me it was nothing, made me feel like I was overreacting. They refused to scan or investigate. One even said it was ‘all in my head.’ Now, the cancer has spread.”
One month after sharing her diagnosis, she confirmed that her cancer was incurable. In February, she also revealed she had suffered a miscarriage.
O’Connor had been undefeated since turning professional in 2021. As an amateur, she won gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, silver at the Youth World Championships the same year, and bronze the following year.
Boxxer CEO Ben Shalom expressed sympathy, saying, “My heart goes out to Georgia’s parents and partner, who did everything they could and are going through so much right now.”
O’Connor had not fought professionally since 2022 after revealing in early 2023 that she was dealing with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease causing ulcers in the colon.
