Inside look at World Champion Jen Han on fight night

You may not think it at first, but El Paso is home to defending boxing champion, Jennifer Han.

“The biggest thing you need to do for a world title fight is stay focused,” Han said. “Relax, calm down, and stick to the gameplan, which is the hardest thing to do.”

But Han did exactly that against Calista Silgado,the sixth-ranked contender in the world.

Han retained her IBF Featherweight world title belt after defeating Silgado by unanimous decision at Southwest University Park.

But the biggest fight of Han’s career required intense focus and a passion to never quit.

“Right before the fight, as a fighter you have so many emotions and thoughts going through your head,” Han said. “You don’t want to let your family, friends and your team down. You really want to showcase to the fans your best fight.”

Nerves or not, Han wasn’t phased in the ring, as she had nearly a flawless performance to improve her record to14-3-1 all time.

Han defeated Helen Joseph in September of 2015 to earn her world title, becoming the first boxing world champion from El Paso.

But this is just the beginning for Han, and an opportunity to show El Paso has a legend of their own right in their backyard.