'It felt like a movie' - Ryan relives paint attack

Following Mikaela Mayer's column yesterday, former world champion Sandy Ryan tells her side of 'paint-gate' before their fight last September in New York.

The Derby boxer faces WBO welterweight champion Mayer in a Las Vegas rematch on Saturday after her previous loss to the American at Madison Square Garden.

I was heading to the venue as usual on a fight night, meeting my team in reception and getting ready to go to the venue.

Suddenly, I got hit with a can of paint and when I looked up there was a guy running back to his car. You could call it a hit and run.

That was three hours before the fight took place - it wasn't the usual fight night.

I didn't see the person coming. I looked down, saw red. It was a bit of a shock at the time.

Everyone around me must have been in shock because no-one chased him. It would have been a lot different if my brother Dave was there - and he will be there on Saturday.

I didn't see anything suspicious but there were two people from Mikaela's team lingering around the bar and at reception when we were coming down to the car.

We didn't think anything of it at the time, though, because we were all staying in the same hotel.

I went back up to my room to change and shower and then I had a security guard with me when we got back to the car to go to the venue.

It started to feel like a movie because the security guard was on his phone saying, 'I've got Sandy Ryan in the car, we'll be arriving in three minutes. Have all the doors ready'.

When he got off the phone he said to me, 'don't get out of the car, I'll open your door and I want you to stay on my left shoulder to walk into the venue'.

When I got to the changing room I went into fight mode and I was ready. I just knew I had to get on with it.

I don't have any regrets about still fighting. I also understand where my coach, Kay, was coming from and why he wanted to pull me out. I respect his opinion but I'm a fighter so there was nothing that anyone could say to stop me.

I was already so angry at the time. I was ready to fight three hours before it even took place.

If you speak to any fighter they aren't going to be doing any madness three hours before a bout.

You're trying to chill, trying to get your mind right and thinking of the fight. You have all your schedule in place and any little disturbance will have an impact. Having paint thrown all over me is another thing.

But I am past all that now.

The difference this time will be me winning and holding that belt at the end of the fight. I just know that a calm mind, calm heart and relaxed Sandy will beat Mikaela.

After losing, I just wanted to go straight back in for the rematch. I know I can beat Mikaela.

People are always going to talk about this rivalry and that's a good thing. It has got us to a point where we are headlining again and this time in Las Vegas.

Let's make that the headline, as well as the 'paint-gate' situation.

I know the media wants to make a headline, but it should be that there's two females headlining in Las Vegas.

That is an achievement in itself and for the women coming up in the future, to see that we can do it.

I'm sure it will give them a boost and a push to see where me and Mikaela are right now.

I would love to come back to the UK and headline in a third fight against her.

I've been in the US twice so it's England's turn now. Let me get this job done and hopefully I can make that happen.

Sandy Ryan was talking to BBC Sport's Bobbie Jackson.