Natasha Jonas vs Mikaela Mayer LIVE: Result tonight as Briton retains title in enthralling bout
Re-live updates after Natasha Jonas defended the IBF welterweight title in her hometown of Liverpool, against America’s Mikaela Mayer
Natasha Jonas retained the IBF welterweight title in a thrilling clash with Mikaela Mayer on Saturday, beating her challenger via split decision in Liverpool.
Fighting in front of a hometown crowd, Jonas was forced to dig deep against Mayer, who was making her debut in the division. In the early rounds, Mayer – a former super-featherweight champion – was chasing Jonas, whose wise shot selection and naturally greater power was proving the difference.
However, the American challenger began to find her rhythm as the bout progressed, varying her offence and backing up Jonas, 39. Mayer, 33, seemed to be pulling ahead, leaving Jonas arguably needing to win the final few rounds to emerge from the fight with her championship status intact.
What followed was an enthralling series of rounds, which could have gone either way, as each boxer brutalised the other to the body. Ultimately, Jonas emerged a split-decision winner, as the scorecards read 96-94, 93-97, 96-95 in favour of the two-weight champion.
Re-live updates and results below.
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Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli
Round 11
Into the championship rounds. Chelli rolls under a punch and lands a slightly laboured left hook.
Cullen hops about, trying to keep himself energised. He steps in with a jab but receives an uppercut to the body for his trouble.
Chelli is looking to finish strong here. He unloads an overhand right, but Cullen’s guard stands up to it.
Cullen, cut above his left eye, is now dripping blood from his nose.
Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli
Round 10
Three rounds to go, barring a stoppage. Both men look to box on the outside and miss.
Cullen steps onto a jab that snaps back his head.
Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli
Round nine
I’d argue that Cullen needs a strong final stretch in this fight.
He just misses with a jab, and Chelli’s counter effort is on point. Now Chelli massively overshoots a right hook.
Chelli holts back Cullen’s head with a jab, but the champion retaliates with a spiteful hook!
Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli
Round eight
Cullen presses forward, and Chelli looks to deter him with some counter punches.
Chelli’s jab can be so awkward; he really leans off to the left and throws it from a weird angle.
The boxers wrestle in close. Now they separate, and Cullen skips to his right before firing off a stinging jab. Better from the champion.
Chelli tries a counter left hook, but it’s a bit of a sloppy effort. This fight hasn’t been of the highest quality, but it has been engaging.
Chelli stumbles off balance and misses with a wild hook.
Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli
Round seven
That ‘bruising’ around Cullen’s left eye might have actually been smeared blood. His corner tapes up the wound.
Into the second half of this fight. Cullen keeps his guard high to block a wide left hook. Chelli tries an overhand right now, but it doesn’t quite land.
Better accuracy from the challenger now, though, and he catches Cullen’s attention!
Stern double-jab by Chelli. Harsh hook to the body of Cullen. Is Chelli starting to pull away in this fight?
Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli
Round six
While Cullen is the taller fighter, Chelli has a bit of a thicker frame, and he’s using his weight to sap the champion when he can.
Lots of hard body shots from Chelli at close range, as he backs up Cullen against the ropes.
Cullen looks quite tense, just as he appeared to be in the first couple of rounds. He seemed to relax a bit after that but has seemingly regressed somewhat...
Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli
Round five
More messy exchanges in this frame. More grappling.
The boxers separate. Chelli partially lands a spiteful overhand right.
A good round for the younger man.
Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli
Round four
Chelli loads up bigggggg on an overhand right, but he misses by some distance.
A scrappy exchange ensues, with both men landing sporadic shots. Snapping jab by Cullen after he misses with a rear uppercut from range.
Good jab from Chelli, who then hammers a right hook into the midriff of Cullen. And again.
Chelli steps back to evade a jab, then pings one of his own.
There’s a brief period of inactivity, and the crowd voices its restlessness.
More grappling, and Chelli again gets the better of Cullen at that range, battering him with right hooks.
Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli
Round three
Lots of jerky feints from both men, but little output so far in this round.
Cullen can’t quite find his range with his crosses, despite his long reach. Chelli opts for some hooks, to the body then head, before clinching.
Decent rear uppercut by Cullen, and Chelli replies with a hard right hook. Another right hook by Chelli, then a left uppercut to the mid-section.
More aggressive hooks from Chelli. There’s some bad bruising around Cullen’s left eye.
Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli
Round two
Chelli with an unorthodox jab from range, but it works! Now he just overshoots a right hook, but Cullen will have felt some of it.
Cullen walks onto a jab, then Chelli lands an overhand right! This is a good spell from the younger boxer...
Another well-timed jab from Chelli. He jumps in with a left hook, but it doesn’t land particularly hard.
Cullen with his own hook now – a cleaner shot. He parries a jab. Lots of holding ensues, with the boxers roughing each other up.
They separate, and Cullen chases Chelli into the corner.
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