Undefeated and undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor will defend his world titles on May against against British boxer Natasha Jones, it has been announced.
Taylor defeated Jones en route to her London 2012 Olympic gold medal, with Irish boxer winning comfortably by a score of 26-15. Jones was forced to take two standing counts in the last round of the fight. Jones, 36, has since earned a record in the professional game of 9-1-1 and was last seen in a split draw with compatriot Terri Harper last August in a fight in which most think she was unlucky not to claim Harper’s WBO and WBC super featherweight titles.
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“Natasha proved in her last fight that she is still performing at the highest level so it’s a great challenge for me and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Taylor. “It’s a fight that people have been asking for and those are the type of fights you want to be part of.
“People still talk about our fight in the 2012 Olympics and I think that proved to be a real eye opener for people in terms of what women’s boxing is all about. I’m expecting another tough fight on May 1st and I’m looking forward to successfully defending my titles.”
Both Taylor and Jones have been significant forces in the growth of women’s boxing in their home countries, with Taylor graduating to global fame since partnering with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing more than four years ago.
The Taylor vs. Jones fight will appear on the undercard of the Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker heavyweight fight and will be broadcast (in Ireland and the UK) on Sky Box Office on May 1.
A win for Taylor will be the 18th straight of her professional career and comes after she dominated Spaniard Miriam Gonzalez in November.
