Mikaela Mayer, Sandy Ryan and Lauren Price vie for undisputed welterweight supremacy

28 March 2025, 14:02 | Updated: 29 March 2025, 07:39

Mikaela Mayer, Sandy Ryan and Lauren Price. All three want one thing – to be the undisputed welterweight champion of the world.

They are the three fighters left in the welterweight division vying for undisputed supremacy.

Wales' Price unified the WBC and IBF titles with the WBA 147lb world championship when she beat Natasha Jonas at the Royal Albert Hall earlier this month.

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Mayer, now the WBO titlist, will rematch Derby's Ryan, the former holder of that belt, in Las Vegas, live on Sky Sports Action from midnight on Sunday morning.

Price threw down the gauntlet to Mayer and Ryan after her tremendous victory over Jonas. She wants the winner of their fight next.

"One-hundred per cent. Coming off the back of the Jonas win, I think I've proved the way I come through that I want to be involved in the best fights out there," Price said.

"I'm Olympic champion, I want to move fast and keep climbing the ladder. One-hundred per cent before this year is over I'd love that fight.

"I've been told I could possibly box in August. If it's not in August, I'd want it before the end of the year. I'd love to be involved in an undisputed fight."

"It's my goal and every boxer's dream," she added. "There's nothing better than to have all the belts.

"I've got one more missing, which I need to get."

Neither Mayer nor Ryan will back down from that challenge.

The American would not hesitate to fight Price. "No, absolutely not and I've said that very openly. I get through Sandy one more time and I would want to finish my goal of becoming undisputed," Mayer told Sky Sports.

"That dream is still alive and I'm back in position now and have that opportunity. I wouldn't run from a Price fight at all. Would I want to do it in Wales? No."

But she added: "We can negotiate."

Mayer was not overawed by Price's showing against Jonas.

"It's a tricky style to beat but I think that Jonas just didn't have the right gameplan. I don't know if it's because she's on her way out and she just doesn't have that fight in her anymore or if she just didn't have a proper gameplan, because she stood on the outside too long, just waited too long. You've got to press," the American said.

"I definitely would have had a different gameplan. I don't think Jonas had the right one. Ultimately if you know your gameplan is not working, you step on the gas. Plan C is you fight and we never saw that from her.

"We'll be ready for it. Right now we've got a completely different style to face."

Ryan knows Price well. They were team-mates on the GB amateur squad and have boxed each other as well as sparring together at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

"We fought each other in a tournament in Bulgaria. We've had some good memories, good sparring. It will be a really good fight. Both boxed for Great Britain. There's a lot in that fight as well," Ryan told Sky Sports.

"I thought that Lauren would win [against Jonas] and it's a great potential fight there for me in the future. I'm looking forward to the future. I just need to get my belt back and be a world champion again, and then them big fights are there."

Going undisputed is the Derby fighter's dream. But if she is victorious this weekend, she expects to have a third fight with Mayer before boxing Price.

"[Undisputed has] always been a goal. But for me right now, this is my goal and I'll take one goal at a time," Ryan said.

"The Lauren Price fight, I don't believe it will happen just yet because you're going to see me and Mikaela fight two more times, because I get the win this time and there'll be a rematch for sure."

The first fight between Mayer and Ryan was closely contested, with Mayer winning by majority decision.

The new world champion is expecting something different from Ryan in the second fight but is convinced it will not be enough.

"I'm expecting her to make the adjustments that she needs," Mayer said. "She lost the first half of that fight pretty clearly so I expect her to make the adjustments and come harder.

"But at the end of the day, Sandy's style is Sandy's style. I don't see her switching up too much, I just see her stepping on the gas a little sooner."

"I thought I clearly won," Mayer continued. "I felt like I won the first half of the fight.

"There were some middle rounds where I got caught up but then towards the end, catching her with the uppercuts and the big shots, I thought I solidified the win and my team did too."

She added: "I don't want it to seem close this time. But I guess I plan on surprising her with the strength and the way that I've grown into this welterweight body [now].

"You don't just jump three weight classes overnight. I kind of did that and I feel like a solid welterweight now."

The notorious paint attack, just before the first fight, affected Ryan. Her mind, she promises, will be clear second time around.

"The difference in the fight is I'm going to win. That's the difference that's going to be," she said. "How I come out, I'll just listen to my trainer and work on what we've been working on in the gym and being me in there. Being calm.

"When I'm relaxed, you'll see the best Sandy."

Whatever happens, Mayer expects another thriller. She said: "She's coming forward. I tend to come forward. I think I had a good gameplan when I was boxing and moving.

"But I like digging to the body too. I think you're going to see a little bit of both of that from me.

"You can't expect anything less than an action-packed fight."

Price and Taylor predict Mayer-Ryan

Lauren Price thinks Mayer could repeat a victory over Ryan.

"I think it's a very interesting fight. I think it's going to be a great fight, like the last one. I think it's going to be close. I think it'll go to points and I'm going to pick Mayer as the winner," Price said.

"I just think that, even though Sandy's a great boxer, sometimes she can get dragged into fights. Because of the nature of the fight - they don't like each other.

"Mayer's the better fighter of the two with inside work and I think Sandy will get dragged into that, and I think Mayer will come out on top."

Undisputed super-lightweight world champion Katie Taylor has sparred Ryan regularly and is backing the Briton to win.

"It's whoever wants it most on Saturday night," Taylor said. "I think Sandy is just an all-round complete fighter. She's an amazing fighter, an amazing boxer. She's so versatile. Her jab is fantastic, her counterpunch is fantastic.

"I've shared rounds and rounds of sparring with her. She's a huge reason why I won the rematch against Chantelle Cameron as well. Just an amazing part of my preparation and I'm always so grateful for those rounds that she gave me. So she's just an all-round complete fighter.

"When she's on form, I think nobody is going to beat her on fight night."

Watch the Mikaela Mayer vs Sandy Ryan rematch live on Sky Sports Action from midnight on Sunday morning. Stream with NOW.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Mikaela Mayer, Sandy Ryan and Lauren Price vie for undisputed welterweight supremacy