IBF female welterweight champion Natasha Jones (15-2-1, 9 KOs) retained her crown following a ten round split decision victory over former unified junior lightweight world champion Mikaela Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs) on Saturday night at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England.

The contest had ebbs and flows and whilst the majority of fight fans were left undecided it came down to a point or two from the judges at ringside to come to a split decision verdict.

“I thought I did enough to win, I outpunched her and outworked her, landing clean shots and having her backed up against the ropes,” Mayer said. “I think that fight is worth seeing again. I didn’t have a rematch clause on my side, but I hope we can get it on again. It’s disappointing, but what am I going to do? I hope Natasha is going to be the standup champion and give me a rematch. I believe I warranted the rematch. I knew from first 10 seconds it was going to be a battle and halfway through I thought this is fight of the year.”

Meyer who was stepping up in weight class looked strong in her Welterweight debut, pushing the action from the start as the champion landed some hard shots in the first two rounds with the fight fully igniting in the fourth with some great back and forth action.

Meyer threathened to take over the fight in the middle section of the contest, rocked back the head of Jonas courtesy of a jolting right hand. Jonas responded in the seventh superbly, landing hard shots in an effort to turn the tide once more.

Both ladies took turns to finish the fight the stronger but ultimately it was the champion who’s hand got raised following an early contender for fight of the year.

“She is in the top-two fighters I have faced and she will be devastated with this defeat, but she should use it as motivation to become a two-weight world champion,” Jonas said of Mayer. “The only person I fought who is better is Katie (Taylor)

“I had a good start, harder, cleaner shots, and I came on strong at the end. I gave away some of the middle rounds. This is probably my last year in boxing, and we want to make it the best chapter in the book.”