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

Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou face off before Saudi Arabia bout

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.

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE

• Natasha Jonas retains welterweight title with split decision against Mikaela Mayer
• Jonas comes out on top with scorecards of 96-94, 93-97, 96-95 in her favour
• Liverpudlian was fighting in her hometown as she took on the American
• ‘We have to hustle harder than men’: Mayer and Jonas talk to The Independent
• Is it okay to keep saying ‘women’s boxing’? Here’s what Mayer thinks...
• Meet tonight’s ring announcer: ‘Big Mo’ Kody Mommaerts

[20 January 2024 19:40 · Alex Pattle]

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Aaron McKenna vs Mickey Ellison

Round five

Sharp jabs by McKenna early in this round. He’s getting through almost at will.

More good jabs from McKenna, who leans off the centre line to land from an angle now.

Brutal body shots follow from McKenna. Eventually Ellison looks to reverse the position against the ropes.

Ellison with a bigggggg overhand right! McKenna takes the shot well, though.

Lovely head movement from McKenna again. The Irishman follows up with a grazing one-two.

Ellison looks to be tiring, while McKenna is gradually turning up the pressure.

Ellison’s corner are talking to him now, before round six, suggesting that they may pull him from this fight soon...

[20 January 2024 19:36 · Alex Pattle]

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Aaron McKenna vs Mickey Ellison

Round four

A brief battle of the jabs to begin this round, with McKenna having the greater success.

Good right hook by Ellison, though. McKenna misses with a winging right hook of his own, but he soon lands a left.

Ellison throws a teasing uppercut and hook to test McKenna’s guard. McKenna fires back with heavier shots.

Again he has Ellison backed up against the ropes, and he’s unloading a few heavy shots now. He reins it in, though, before backing off.

[20 January 2024 19:32 · Alex Pattle]

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Aaron McKenna vs Mickey Ellison

Round three

Ellison comes forward again. Lots of feints from him, but McKenna isn’t biting.

Tidy jab from range by McKenna. Ellison misses with a wild right and left as he surges forward.

McKenna has more success with a one-two to the head. And again. Good head movement from him to evade Ellison’s next combination.

Ellison goes to the well with a few uppercuts but can’t find the mark. McKenna turns up the pressure late in the round, backing Ellison up against the ropes.

[20 January 2024 19:28 · Alex Pattle]

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Aaron McKenna vs Mickey Ellison

Round two

McKenna presses forward carefully. Quickfire one-two from him, as Ellison looks to come forward now.

Ellison, a short-notice opponent here, catches McKenna on the end of his jab. McKenna returns fire by targeting the body of Ellison.

Ellison with a decent spell on the front foot here. Nice jab to the body by him, but McKenna replies with another one-two to the head.

Ellison attacks the body of McKenna again with some crosses from range; he’s lacking a bit of accuracy but does land at close range in the final moments of the round.

[20 January 2024 19:24 · Alex Pattle]

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Aaron McKenna vs Mickey Ellison

Round one

Both men stand orthodox. McKenna flicks out his jab early, while Ellison tries a couple of one-two combinations to test his opponent’s guard.

Ellison eventually gets through with a right cross upstairs, before missing with a couple to the body. McKenna comes back with some decent jabs upstairs.

Ellison lands a pair of hooks to the body, though they’re quite laboured, it must be said; McKenna is the quicker puncher in there.

Ellison with his own jab now, then a grazing uppercut. Oh! Another uppercut, stiffer this time, through Ellison’s guard! McKenna’s corner loves that.

Ellison misses wildly with a left hook to end the round.

[20 January 2024 19:19 · Alex Pattle]

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Aaron McKenna vs Mickey Ellison

We kick things off with a middleweight bout between Aaron McKenna and Mickey Ellison!

Ten three-minute rounds scheduled here.

[20 January 2024 19:13 · Alex Pattle]

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Main-event preview

Natasha Jonas vs Mikaela Mayer feels like a Rubik’s Cube of a fight. Perhaps it will feel like that kind of frustrating, disorientating undertaking to the boxers tonight; either way, it feels like that from the other side of the ropes, while attempting to break down the contest.

In one corner will be Liverpool’s own Jonas, greeted by a hometown crowd. In the other will be Mayer, having crossed the pond for the fourth time in as many fights. Every roar from the stands and the floor may prove crucial to Jonas if the bout reaches the final bell and the judges are needed. Her American opponent, meanwhile, will look to wrest away the IBF welterweight title in enemy territory.

Then there is the matter of experience, age, or both: At 39, Jonas has less in front of her than 33-year-old Mayer but also more behind her to draw upon. An Olympic veteran, Jonas stuck through the sport through “horrible times”, as she admitted to The Independent, to finally achieve her world-title dream at the third time of asking. On a fateful February night in 2022, the Briton battered Chris Namus to become a world champion at super-welterweight.

Before the end of the year, she had collected two more belts in the division, before dropping down in weight to become a two-division champion. All of this, eight years after she retired from boxing.

Read our full main-event preview, right here:

[20 January 2024 19:09 · Alex Pattle]

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Sean Strickland belittles women’s combat sports

On the topic of the UFC, one half of tonight’s main event had some choice words for women’s MMA this week.

Sean Strickland, who defends the middleweight title versus Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297, launched a derisive attack on the women’s side of the sport.

Here’s what the controversial American had to say:

[20 January 2024 19:06 · Alex Pattle]

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: More fights later tonight at UFC 297

If you’re also a fan of MMA, don’t forget to follow our live updates from UFC 297 tonight.

Below is all you need to know about the fight card – from the story behind Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis in the main event, to TV details, timings and odds:

[20 January 2024 19:03 · Alex Pattle]

Jonas vs Mayer LIVE: Main card under way!

The main card is upon us! Our round-by round updates will begin shortly.