Mikaela Mayer has urged Natasha Jonas to give her a rematch after the Brit retained her welterweight world title in a contentious split decision on Saturday.
IBF champion Jonas and former super-featherweight world champion Mayer delivered an instant classic in an action-packed bout in Liverpool, with many at ringside believing the American had done enough to win.
One judge scored it 97-93 in Mayer’s favour, but the other two gave it to Jonas – by margins of 96-95 and 96-95 – to give her a split decision victory.
While Jonas had a rematch clause that she could have activated in the event Mayer won, the challenger doesn’t possess one.
“I think you could see at the end, I thought I did enough to win,” Mayer said. “I would have given her the first round or two, but after that I feel like I outpunched her and landed the cleaner shots.
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Highlights from a huge IBF welterweight title clash between Natasha Jonas and Mikaela Mayer in Liverpool.
“At the end of the day I think that fight is worth seeing again, like she said, one of the toughest fights she’s had. I think the fans really enjoyed it.
“I didn’t have a rematch clause on my side but I’m hoping we can get this fight done again for the fans if they want it.
“I hope that her being the champion that she is, she’d want to give me a rematch. I didn’t have a clause on my side, but a rematch is warranted, the fans want to see it.”
Jonas, 39, said she would consider a rematch but might look to pursue other options as her career nears its end.
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After retaining her IBF welterweight title against Mikaela Mayer, Natasha Jonas felt her opponent brought the best out of her in what was a hugely entertaining main event in Liverpool.
“Anything is possible,” the Brit said.
“The fights that I thought winning tonight would keep the doors open for, obviously for me with so many limited fights left, they’re the ones that I’m looking for.
“But if it’s something that the fans want, I’m always happy to oblige.”
Jonas: Mayer one of my top two opponents
Before becoming a world champion – at light-middleweight – for the first time in 2022, Jonas had been cruelly denied by close decisions in title fights against Terri Harper and Katie Taylor.
The former Olympian said she knew how Mayer would be feeling after being on the wrong end of a tight call and urged the American to use the defeat as motivation in the future.
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John Dennen and Andy Scott look back on the IBF welterweight world title bout between Natasha Jonas and Mikaela Mayer, with the pair dubbing it an early contender for fight of the year.
“I know this girl here is going to be absolutely devastated with that result because I’ve been there and it feels like the world is over,” Jonas said.
“She is in my top two people I’ve fought, she’s a very skilled operator, her time will come again. She beats a lot of the champions that are already here.
“So please use that as motivation to go on and get the title that you deserve and become a two-weight world champion.”