Mikaela Mayer suffers frustrating loss in UK

In yet another close loss on UK soil, former unified junior lightweight world champion Mikaela Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs) was denied her 3rd (weight) world title when she lost a razor-thin split decision to IBF female welterweight champion Natasha Jonas (15-2-1, 9 KOs) on Saturday night at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England

Jonas was able to hold on to the IBF welterweight title with what could be described as a little home cooking.

The judges that saw it Jones’ way did so by the thinnest of margins at 96-94 (Frank Lombardi, USA), and 96-95 (Michael Alexander, UK). The 97-93 (Diana Drews Milani, Germany) score seemed more in line with what I saw.

Jones was busy and showed a lot of resolve in standing up to the always-aggressive challenger. Mayer, a former champion at 130 and 135, forced the action, landed the heavier shots, and backed Jones into the ropes many times throughout the fight. 

Jones, who stated after the fight that this would more than likely be her last year in the sport, has other options, but Mayer more than deserves a rematch.

In post-fight interviews, Mayer, while frustrated, was very classy in her comments and indeed clarified she would love another shot at Jones.

“I thought I did enough to win,” Mayer stated afterward. “I outpunched her and outworked her, landing clean shots and having her backed up against the ropes,” she said. “I think that fight is worth seeing again”.

While it appeared that Mayer should have been walking out of the ring on Saturday night with the world title, that isn’t what happened.

A rematch is what should happen. 

“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 stand-up champion and give me a rematch. I believe I warranted the rematch.”