Sheena Bathory is preparing for the biggest moment of her Power Slap career as she faces Abby Montes for the inaugural women’s 145-pound championship in the main event of Power Slap 22 in Belgrade, Serbia.
The title fight brings together two accomplished combat sports athletes who have built reputations around their power, toughness and willingness to take on difficult challenges. Bathory has experience across judo, wrestling, bodybuilding, boxing, MMA and Power Slap, while Montes brings an impressive boxing background and proven knockout ability of her own.
Despite her admiration for Montes, Bathory is not approaching the matchup lightly. She expects both women to push each other further than ever before and believes their five-round championship fight could become the most memorable women’s contest in Power Slap history.
Sheena Bathory Continues To Chase New Challenges
As she approaches her 35th birthday, Bathory has no intention of slowing down.
Rather than waiting for opportunities to come to her, she has remained active across several combat sports and continues to test herself in disciplines that demand completely different skills.
“I just want to take as many opportunities as I can,” Bathory said. “I’m really enjoying fighting, especially in those fields where I’ve never been before.”
Boxing has become one of her newest challenges. After spending much of her career in grappling-based sports such as judo and wrestling, learning a striking discipline has forced her to develop new movement patterns, timing and technique.
Bathory believes that work will also benefit her inside Power Slap, particularly as she focuses on combining her natural power with greater hand speed.
Bathory Personally Wanted The Abby Montes Fight
When Power Slap offered Bathory the opportunity to compete for the 145-pound title, the opponent came as no surprise.
Bathory had already been calling for a fight against Montes because she believed the championship deserved the strongest possible matchup.
“If I ever wanted to go for the title, who would be the best opponent?” she said. “I don’t want an easy opponent for the title.”
Bathory has followed Montes’ career and developed genuine respect for her accomplishments, athletic background and personality.
“Abby is a badass,” Bathory said. “I have so much admiration for her, and she’s a huge inspiration for me in boxing too.”
Rather than attempting to create personal hostility before the event, Bathory expects their mutual respect to make the fight even more competitive.
“I think we’re both going to bring that energy where we really want to bring out the best of this event,” she explained. “It’s going to be a respectful war.”
Power Slap’s Women’s Divisions Have Come A Long Way
Bathory has been part of Power Slap since its earliest stages and remembers when the promotion struggled to attract enough female competitors.
Three years later, the women’s roster has grown significantly.
Athletes are now arriving from boxing, MMA, wrestling and several other sports, creating deeper divisions filled with distinct fighting styles and personalities.
“In the beginning, Power Slap was struggling to get a lot of females, and now they’re just coming,” Bathory said.
She believes the growth of the women’s side has added more than athletic talent. Each new competitor brings a different identity, background and character to the promotion.
“Power Slap is not just about slapping,” she explained. “It brings lots of characters and personalities. It’s becoming very colorful.”
With the 125-pound championship and the inaugural 145-pound title both being contested in July 2026, Bathory sees the month as a major breakthrough for women in Power Slap.
Serbia Feels Like A Home Fight For Bathory
Power Slap 22 will take place only a few hours from Bathory’s native Hungary, making the event far more accessible to her friends and supporters.
“Serbia is our neighbour,” she said. “A lot of my friends are going to come over from Budapest.”
The drive from Budapest to Belgrade takes approximately three and a half to four hours, allowing Bathory to compete in front of what she expects will feel like a hometown crowd.
After regularly travelling much further for events in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia, learning that she would fight for a championship so close to home left her stunned.
“I was literally shocked,” Bathory said. “Serbia is next door, and it’s for the title. I was so happy.”
The chance to headline Power Slap’s first European event and compete in the largest venue the promotion has used makes the opportunity even more meaningful.
Bathory Expects European Fans To Fill The Arena
Although Power Slap has held most of its major events outside Europe, Bathory believes the sport already has a significant following across the continent.
She pointed to the growth of several smaller slap-fighting promotions as evidence that European fans have become increasingly familiar with the sport.
“Power Slap itself is really huge and very popular,” Bathory said. “Everybody has already heard about it.”
With a historic title fight, several European competitors and some of Power Slap’s biggest names scheduled to appear, Bathory expects a strong crowd in Belgrade.
She believes the event could become an important step in establishing Power Slap as a major attraction throughout Eastern Europe.
Abby Montes’ Technique Separates Her From Other Competitors
Bathory was already a fan of Montes before they were matched against one another.
She admires her charisma, toughness and ability to remain composed even after absorbing a clean strike.
“I see after she gets slapped, she keeps smiling,” Bathory said. “I love this woman.”
However, Bathory’s respect extends beyond Montes’ personality. After studying her footage, she identified several technical similarities between them.
Montes generates power through her entire body, using her legs and hips rather than relying exclusively on her upper body.
“She connects with her lower body, and that’s why she has more power than the others,” Bathory explained.
That ability makes Montes especially dangerous over five rounds. Bathory jokingly admitted that she expects to leave Serbia with a serious headache after absorbing the Mexican fighter’s power.
Five Championship Rounds Will Become A Test Of Survival
Power Slap championship fights require athletes to potentially receive five clean strikes, making endurance and defensive preparation more important than in a standard three-round contest.
Bathory believes there is no way to completely simulate what that experience will feel like.
“You just have to prepare to survive,” she said. “No matter what, you have to be able to stand on your feet. You can’t fall.”
Her training camp has included a much stronger focus on defense after previous experiences exposed weaknesses in the way she received strikes.
Bathory admitted that she once stood too openly and offered her neck without properly bracing or protecting herself. Since then, she has worked with Power Slap coaches to improve her stance, neck positioning and ability to absorb contact.
“There is always something little to work on,” she said.
With both athletes expected to enter fully prepared, Bathory believes the title fight has the potential to become the wildest women’s matchup Power Slap has ever produced.
A Torn ACL Has Changed Bathory’s Training
Bathory recently moved to London and began preparing for new opportunities in boxing and MMA.
However, two weeks before receiving a boxing contract opportunity, she tore the ACL in her left knee.
The injury forced her to cancel a planned MMA fight and temporarily step away from wrestling-based training. Because the knee has already undergone two previous operations, her doctor recommended rehabilitation and strengthening instead of another immediate surgery.
That has allowed Bathory to continue boxing, where she has greater control over her movements and does not have another athlete’s body weight threatening the injured joint.
Her boxing sessions have become increasingly intense as the knee strengthens.
While the injury has limited certain parts of her preparation, it has also led Bathory to focus on an area that could make her even more dangerous at Power Slap 22.
Boxing Has Added More Speed To Bathory’s Power
Bathory has always been known for her knockout power, including one of the most viral strikes in Power Slap history.
This time, she wants to add another element to her attack.
“To get a knockout, you don’t only need to hit hard,” she explained. “The hit has to be very fast.”
Her boxing coaches have focused on increasing the speed of every punch, teaching her to deliver force more quickly and efficiently.
Bathory hopes that training will translate directly to the Power Slap stage.
Instead of relying exclusively on raw strength, she plans to combine speed, timing and power in a way opponents have not previously seen from her.
“Hopefully this is going to help me for the title fight,” she said. “Now I’m working even more on the speed, not just the power.”
Bathory Nearly Walked Away From Power Slap
Despite her success and popularity, Bathory has experienced moments when she questioned whether she should continue competing.
After her previous fight with Jackie Cataline, she considered retiring because of concerns about the long-term effects on her brain.
“I felt after Jackie that I just wanted to retire,” she admitted. “It’s not good for my brain.”
However, the desire to return eventually became stronger than the urge to walk away.
Bathory felt that her journey in Power Slap remained incomplete. Having been involved since Road to the Title Season 1, she wanted another opportunity to prove herself and pursue the championship that had not yet existed for her division.
“I’m here for a reason,” she said. “I feel like there is unfinished business.”
Winning the inaugural 145-pound championship in Europe would provide what Bathory described as one of the most beautiful chapters of her life.
The Title Fight Could Mark The End Of A Chapter
Bathory has not made a final decision about how long she will remain in Power Slap.
Part of her believes winning the championship would create the perfect ending to her journey, allowing her to shift her attention toward boxing and MMA.
“This episode would be the best end with the title,” she said.
At the same time, Bathory is unsure whether she would truly be able to leave the sport behind.
Her recent weight loss has opened the possibility of competing at 135 pounds in both boxing and Power Slap. She currently weighs approximately 67 to 68 kilograms and would no longer need to endure the same severe cuts required earlier in her career.
That creates an intriguing new challenge.
“Maybe I would like to take over 135 in Power Slap,” Bathory said. “I’m seeking something different.”
Whether the Serbia event becomes her final appearance or the beginning of another title pursuit may depend on how she feels afterward.
A Smaller Weight Cut Could Improve Bathory’s Recovery
One of Bathory’s greatest concerns has been how long she experiences headaches after competing.
She noticed that some opponents recovered quickly after being knocked down, while she continued feeling the effects of their strikes long after the event.
Bathory believes her previous weight cuts may have played a major role.
She often entered competition severely dehydrated, potentially leaving her brain less protected when she received clean shots.
“I still felt my head,” she explained. “It’s because of my huge weight cut. I was always very dehydrated.”
Her current body weight is considerably lower, meaning she does not expect to rely heavily on cutting water before Power Slap 22.
Bathory believes entering the fight properly hydrated could improve her ability to absorb Montes’ strikes and recover afterward.
“This is a different situation this time,” she said.
Bathory Wants To Bring Out The Best In Abby Montes
When asked to deliver a final message to her opponent, Bathory again avoided threats or manufactured hostility.
Instead, she thanked Montes for accepting the matchup and described her as the ideal athlete to share such a historic moment with.
“I couldn’t find a better opponent for this title,” Bathory said.
Her only request was that both women arrive ready to give everything they have.
“Let’s bring out the best of us and smash this title fight.”
Sheena Bathory Is Ready To Complete Her Power Slap Journey
Sheena Bathory has been part of Power Slap since the beginning, helping establish the women’s division through her personality, athletic background and devastating knockout power.
At Power Slap 22, she finally receives the opportunity to compete for a championship.
Standing across from her will be an opponent she respects, admires and considers fully deserving of the moment. That respect will disappear only when the competition begins.
With five rounds, two powerful strikers and the inaugural 145-pound title at stake, Bathory expects a brutal but sportsmanlike battle in front of a European crowd.
A victory would not only make her Power Slap’s first women’s 145-pound champion. It could also provide the perfect conclusion to one chapter of her career—or inspire her to begin another.