MinerAlert
MinerAlert
October 2025
By Sandra Ramirez '08, '21
At only 10 years old, Stephanie Han '13 knew she liked to win.
As one of five children to a Korean father who owned a martial arts studio, Stephanie and her siblings grew up competing in karate, Taekwondo, and other martial arts. Competing wasn’t optional in her family.
“We had a family business, and we grew up fighting,” Han recalled. “My older siblings had to compete, and because they did it, I had to follow in their footsteps. I started boxing at 10. I remember being a kid and I just liked winning. I was good at it, and I loved winning.”
It is that winning mindset that has earned Han the title of World Boxing Association Lightweight Champion. She successfully defended that title in a bout in Orlando this past August.
It was also Han’s first fight since signing with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), a boxing promotion company co-founded by boxer and influencer Jake Paul.
“I'm grateful to be part of this team because the platform and exposure that they give women’s boxing,” Han said. “They definitely give women a chance and [make women’s boxing] a priority. I love the opportunities with this team.”
Han returned to boxing after a 10-year hiatus, a break she took when she felt “over it.” During that time, she completed her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2013 at The University of Texas at El Paso, where she also met her husband. The couple now has two children. Those accomplishments aside, her comeback opened the door to new opportunities in the sport, opportunities that might not have come had she not returned.
Han channeled the same dedication that fueled her boxing comeback into a career in law enforcement, balancing her life as a professional fighter with her full-time role as an instructor at the El Paso Police Academy.
It was in this role that her commitment to family and the sport intersected. When Han’s older sister, Jennifer, was offered one of the biggest fights of her career shortly after giving birth, Stephanie stepped in to help get her back into fighting shape. That experience reminded her of her own love for the sport.
“I came back to help her, but I realized I still had my skills,” Han said. “This was the perfect time to come back to boxing. If I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity, I was going to regret it for the rest of my life. So, I came back to boxing at 30 years old.”
Han’s winning mindset has made her return successful, with her recent fight in Orlando serving as a clear example of her resilience and determination.
“I fought a girl 10 years younger than me. She was hungry. That first round she knocked me down. She hit hard,” Han said.
“But this is what I signed up for. I've been through challenging situations in my life as a police officer [and] as a mother. I have a special-needs daughter. She's eight years old. She can't walk. She can't talk. I think the scariest situations I’ve ever had in my life were because of her being in the hospital and almost dying. If I could overcome that, I could overcome a knockdown first-round," she said.
Han defeated Colombiana Paulina Angel by unanimous decision.
She is now focused on maintaining her world champion title and pursuing other belts in her division.