Price to make first world title defence against Mateus

Lauren Price will defend her welterweight world titles for the first time against Bexcy Mateus on 14 December.

Welsh fighter Price, 30, will face the unbeaten 29-year-old Columbian contender at Liverpool’s Exhibition Centre for the IBO, WBA and Ring Magazine belts.

Mateus has six knockouts in seven wins, while Olympic champion Price has one stoppage in her unblemished seven-fight professional career.

“I’m excited to be out defending my belts to finish what has been a big year for me,” Price said.

“I have full respect for Mateus. I’ll prove I’m the best in the division and I won’t let anything, or anyone stand in my way of becoming undisputed.”

On the same bill another of the stacked division’s stars, 40-year-old Liverpudlian Natasha Jonas, will bid to unify the IBF and WBC titles against Croatian Ivana Habazin, 35.

If Jones and Price win, an all-British unification bout beckons.

Price became Wales’ first professional female boxing world champion and 14th world title holder in just her seventh professional fight in May by beating welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill.

That meant 2000 Olympic Games gold medal winner Price could look forward to big nights and huge paydays having been catapulted into the upper echelons of the sport.

Jonas retained her IBF welterweight title against Mikaela Mayer in January, saying afterwards 2024 would be her last year as a fighter.

Promotional company Boxxer’s chief executive Ben Shalom said: “The battle for undisputed is on.

“If Natasha and Lauren both win on December 14th, it will set the stage for a massive ‘Battle of Britain’ world title unification match-up next year.”