Jennah Creason was set to make her professional debut Saturday, but the ✅hype around “The Gem” will have t🥂o hold a little longer.

Many of Creason’s strongest supporters believe she wi𒆙ll be the next superstar in women’s boxing – a chip off the block of one of her inspirations, mixed martial arts star Ronda Rousey.

Creason, of Visalia, California, was due to fight in the early prelims of Saturday’s card at the SaveMart Center in Fresno, California, headlined by local attraction and former unified junior welterweight champio🀅n Jose Ramirez facing Rances Barthelemy. But the plan was ultimately scuttled after four opponents pull🔯ed out against Creason.

The last of the bunch, Maria🥃 Garcia, never arrived in Fresno and pulled out of the fight at the last🅷 minute.

“I took time off school for the training – this really hurts,” said a dejected Creason at the weigh-in. “This is the most heart൩breaking thing for me. I’m devastated I can’t fight at h🌼ome. I had friends and family who aren’t even boxing fans who bought tickets to support me.”

Creason is a senior a🉐t Redwood High School and graduates next month. She had hoped to walk into the ring before she walked across the stage as a high-school graduate.

Creason’s team consists of MMA coach🔯 Bob Cook and well-respected boxing trainer Robert Garcia.🐈 Her longtime boxing coach, Louie Gallardo of the Visalia PAL, was also going to accompany her to Saturday’s scheduled fight.

Now Creason restarts the countdown to her pro boxing debut, even aꩲs her end goal, she aꦆdmits, is an MMA career.

The 18-year-old Creason recal𒀰ls wanting to become a fighter when, at age 7, she and her father watched Rousey force Liz Carmouche to submit in 2013.

Although life hasn’t always been easy for Creason, who in 2021, at age 16, became to the USA Unified Martial Arts Hall of Fame when she was named "Most Winning Female Competitor of the De🌞cade,” Creason has demanded respect at every step of her journey.

“I actually enjoy the experience,” Creason told BoxingScene, “because you have to earn your spot – because not everyone is going to be abl༒e to see you can do the same thing as a man.”

Creason, a three-time USA Boxing national champion who was ranked No. 1 in her weight class for three years, won gold at the Brandenburg Cup in 2023. She won state in California Interscholastic Federation wrestling, becoming the first girl to do that in Tulare County. Also a multiple-time jiu-jitsu league winner, Creasꦑon forgets many achievements that others would gloat endlessly about.

Creason’s early opponents were bullies, and one in particular was so cruel that a security guard was stationed at her bus stop because of his antics. Creason recalled that same bully flicking her hair at a park and later pleaded with her✃ dad to get a chance to box the bully. 

“I used to carry around my gloves when I was ꦛyounger,” Creason said. “I grabbed two pairs of gloves and met him right where th🍌ey come out of the bus stop.”

Creason told the bully to get his mom, and that they needed to “handle this.” The fight never happened, but the legend of Creason’s toughness had begun. She also reca🦹lled her first day in the boxing gym, when she was belittled by a younger fighter.

“Coach, why is there a girl here?” the kid asked. “Girls don’t belong here – girls don’t 🔯belong in boxing.”

The bullyin♊g hit a♒ boiling point when that same youngster shoulder-checked Creason in the gym.

“I got really upset and pushed him,” Creason said. “He went about 🌟10 feet across the floor.”

That led to a sparring session in which Creaso♎n beat u🎐p the bully. Things were never the same again. 

The 5-foot-4 Creason now looks to transcend professional sports, much in the sa♌me way Rousey did. Creason wants to be a well-rounded athlete so that she can ultimately compete in professional MMA.

“I looked up to Ronda Rousey – and hopefully younger gi🌄rls can look up to me,” Creason said.

This story isn’t exactly new. Holly Holm was a decorated boxing worldꦓ champion who became an icon when she knocked out Rousey. Creason noted that she also admired Holm, and especially her ability to compete in both sports.

“She’s been a four-sport athlete since she was 10 y🍰ears old,” said Cook, who has worked with fighters such as UFC heavyweight champions Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier. “Boxing, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu and wrestling.”

Creason is working with manager Rick Mirigian on 🌃the boxing side of her caree🌸r.

“Jennah will be a two-sport star and is a special fighter,” Mirigian told BoxingSce𒁏ne. “You don't find ones like this often; she is a generational talent.”

Whether between the ropes, in the cage or on the mat, Creason wants to sꦓhine an increasingly brighter light on women’s combat sports. She plans to🍸 keep drawing inspiration from the accomplished and attitude-forward Rousey.

“She just kicked the door down for women fighting,” Creasoﷺn said, “and I just love that.”

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of ‘Inside The Ropes of Boxing’ (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing