Jonas Retains IBF Welterweight Title In A Heavily-Disputed Split-Decision Win Over Mayer
In a thrilling encounter, Natasha Jonas won a disputed split decision over Mikaela Mayer to retain her IBF Welterweight Title.
The pressure was on Jonas to perform in front of her home fans, knowing that Mayer was hungry to become a two-weight world champion. The first couple of rounds started well for Jonas, who boxed on the outside, made Mayer fall short and hit her with the southpaw left hand.
Her lateral movement from left to right disrupted Mayer, who was attempting to walk Jonas down and then pin her on the ropes. Mayer found more success as the fight went on. She increased her work rate, worrying Jonas with a right hand on the nose and a left hook on the ropes in the fourth. Mayer’s confidence grew as she connected with a right over the top and pinned Jonas on the ropes at the end of the fifth.
After the halfway stage, Mayer looked more composed as Jonas’ corner told her to avoid exchanging by focusing on making Mayer fall short with her punches. But Mayer was dictating the pace as she landed a big uppercut in the seventh, and both fighters went toe-to-toe in the eighth.
With Jonas’ eye swelled up, Mayer threw everything in the last round in a captivating affair. The decision went to the judges who ruled in favor of Jonas: 96-94, 97-93 and 96-95. Mayer was dissatisfied, feeling she had done enough to win. As for Jonas, the boxer admitted this was her last year in the sport.
Post-Fight
“We always knew it was going to be tough. Me and Ben [Shalom] know how hard it has been this year and we are so grateful for everyone who is here tonight. Everyone on this card tonight is so grateful for you coming out and spending your money. It takes two to tango and I know Mikaela Mayer will be gutted.
“She is in the top two people who I have fought. Please use this as motivation to get the title you deserve and become a two-weight world champion. I need opponents like her to bring the best out of me. I’d like to thank Ben [Shalom] because without him, I didn’t know where my career was going. He’s invested in me and made me the fighter that I am. Thank you to my training partners coming in over Christmas and helping me stay a world champion,” Jonas said
“You could see at the end I thought I did enough to win. I would have given her the first round or two. I think that fight is one the fans want to see again. [And] I didn’t have a rematch clause on my side but I hope we can do it again. It’s disappointing but what am I going to do? I just hope that Tasha will be the stand up champ that she is and give me another shot. I knew from the first 10 seconds of the fight that it was going to be a great fight. Half way through I was thinking this is fight of the year,” Mayer stated
Results
Zak Chelli beat Jack Cullen via a unanimous decision: 116-113, 116-112 and 115-114
Karriss Artingstall beat Lila Furtardo via a decision: 77-75
Ste Clarke beat Vasif Mamedov via a third-round TKO – Super Middleweight
Aaron McKenna beat Micky Ellison via a sixth-round TKO – Middleweight
Mark Jeffers beat Germaine Brown via a unanimous decision – Super Middleweight
Jack Massey beat Steve Eloundou Ntere via a first-r0und KO – Cruiserweight
Mikie Tallon beat Adam Yahaya via a unanimous decision – Flyweight
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