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Fighting Forward

Amanda Sendejo '23 steps into the ring to champion women in sports

Amanda Sendejo ’23 is redefining what it means to be a professional athlete—blending boxing with business and using her platform to amplify the voices of women in sports.

A two-time national champion, Sendejo made her professional boxing debut earlier this year at San Antonio’s Boeing Center at Tech Port, securing her first pro victory in front of a hometown crowd.

But her journey didn’t start in the spotlight. It began in Floresville, Texas, watching her older brothers train and compete. Inspired by their discipline, Sendejo laced up her own gloves at 17 and quickly rose through the amateur ranks, proving she belonged in the ring.

Left: a woman with braided hair holds up her boxing gloves in victory as she has just won a match. right: a woman in braids has her boxing gloves in a ready position.
Left: Amanda Sendejo is declared a winner during a match. Right: Sendejo warms up before a fight.

While pursuing her marketing degree at the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, Sendejo realized that being a boxer and being a brand weren’t separate goals; they were intertwined.

 “As a boxer, you’re constantly marketing yourself,” she says. “Branding, storytelling and community engagement are just as important in this sport as physical strength. UTSA taught me how to think strategically and creatively about my future, both inside and outside the ring.”

Her time at UT San Antonio not only gave her the academic foundation to navigate the business of boxing but also valuable hands-on experience.

Through internships with the San Antonio Spurs and San Antonio FC, Sendejo learned the inner workings of sports marketing, sponsorships and fan engagement — insights that now help her shape her own narrative as a professional athlete.

As a first-generation college graduate, Sendejo carries her family’s hopes and hard work into every match.

LISTEN: Hear more of Amanda Sendejo’s journey.

 “Everything I do is for them,” she says. “My parents sacrificed so much to give me a chance at something more, and I want to make them proud.”

Today, Sendejo is building a career that blends her passions for athletics and business. Outside the ring, she actively engages with fans on social media, collaborates with sponsors and envisions a future working in the sports industry — whether in marketing, broadcasting or athlete development.

Most importantly, she wants to be a role model.

 “Boxing has come a long way, but it’s still a male-dominated sport,” she says. “I want young women to see me and know that they belong here too.”

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