Lauren Price Eyes “Massive” Unification Bout with Natasha Jonas

Boxer Lauren Price, who stated “I want to be undisputed,” is scheduled to compete against Bexcy Mateus at the Exhibition Centre, Liverpool, on Saturday, 14 December, with the first bell after 20:00 GMT. Coverage will be available via live audio and text updates on the BBC Sport website and app, followed by a report and reaction. Lauren Price, Wales’ inaugural female world champion in boxing, has described a prospective unification contest with Natasha Jonas as a “massive, massive fight.” Price, aged 30, is set to make the initial defence of her world WBA welterweight title this Saturday evening in Liverpool, facing challenger Bexcy Mateus. Speaking on the eve of the fight, Price stated: “I’ve just got to stick to my boxing, stick to my skill, stick to my speed and I believe I come out on top. I take every fight seriously. Turning over as Olympic champion, I’ve had pressure on me from day one. “With pressure comes diamonds, right? Saturday night’s no different. It’s my first defence. I believe I’m going to shine under the lights, put on a show and get that win.” A victory for Price would position her to contend with the victor of the evening’s main event, where champion Natasha Jonas will compete against Ivana Habazin for the IBF and WBC welterweight titles. Discussions regarding a significant fight between Price and Jonas have been ongoing since Price’s professional debut in 2022. The Welsh boxer, an Olympic gold medallist from 2021, anticipates 2025 will mark a pivotal year in her career. “I’m excited. It has been a long time coming, I would have liked to have been more active this year but the main thing is that I’m finishing the year on a high. I’m going to put a clean performance on and then the big fights come next year,” she informed BBC Sport. Price further commented: “It’s massive, it’s a massive fight for the British public. If it was down to me I’d be fighting her now but the politics of boxing and other things [meant that was not possible].”We both need to get the win and then we can look forward to that fight. It’s a fight I’ve wanted for a long time and a fight that I believe I win.” Price asserts her belief that she is the fighter to overcome in the welterweight category and considers Jonas a stepping-stone towards her ambition of dominating the division. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Tash and what she has done for boxing, but when I turned over as Olympic champion I wanted to move fast – and now I’ve got three belts,” Price stated. “I want other belts and want to become undisputed. It’s a business and if she’s got titles I want then I want that fight.” She added: “I believe in myself and that’s the biggest thing you need in this game. I know how good I am and I’ve got a lot more to come. I’ve had seven fights and won every round.” “I live and breathe boxing, the way I train. I tick boxes and I get wins and results. I believe in myself and believe I have the skill to beat Tash,” Price affirmed. Both Lauren Price and Bexcy Mateus maintain undefeated professional records, each standing at 7-0. Price acknowledges that her aspirations for a unification bout would be jeopardized if she does not defeat Mateus, an opponent known for her heavy hitting and who, like Price, holds an unblemished 7-0 record. “She has a very high knockout ratio record. She has had seven fights with six knockouts so she can bang a bit, she is quite raw and wild but I need to stick to what I’m good at,” Price further stated. She continued: “I’ve got experience of boxing all around the world as an amateur and I’m an Olympic gold medallist, I’ve come across bigger girls with different styles, I’ve faced every style there is. I’m confident as a long as I stick to my plan.” “I know the Tash fight is in the back of my head because I know what can be, but my focus is Saturday. I just have to listen to my team and do what I do best. I need to use my skill and boxing IQ and I believe I get the win,” Price concluded.