Two of the top fighters in The Sporting News’ women’s boxing pound-for-pound rankings face off for welterweight gold on January 20. Natasha Jonas will defend the IBF welterweight title against former super featherweight champion Mikaela Mayer at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool. The fight will air on ESPN+ in the U.S. and Sky Sports in the U.K.
A 2014 European Championships silver medalist, Jonas was the first British female boxer to compete at the Olympics in 2012, losing to Katie Taylor in the quarter-finals. She turned pro in 2017 and fought Terri Harper to a draw for the WBC super featherweight title before losing to Taylor in a battle for the undisputed lightweight championship.
The Liverpool-born Jonas, 39, has since won five in a row since. In 2022, she beat Chris Namus for the WBO super welterweight title, Patricia Berghult for the WBC belt, and Marie-Eve Dicaire for IBF gold. In July, Jonas moved down in weight to beat Kandi Wyatt for the IBF welterweight title. Now armed with world titles in two weight divisions, she is ready for unification fights on all fronts.
Mayer, 33, stands ominously in her way.
“I’m so excited to be fighting back in Liverpool in my first headline show and in the biggest fight of my career so far,” Jonas said….
