Ex-world champ unsure of fighting in the UK again

MIKAELA Mayer has suffered two losses in her professional career. Both were in the UK and decisions she fervently disputes.

The most recent came last weekend when IBF champion Natasha Jonas took a split-decision win over the American in Liverpool.

“What do I have to do to get a decision?” Mayer, convinced she deserved victory, lamented. “It makes us all want to protect ourselves, protect our career.

“If I had protected myself a little bit more I wouldn’t be in this position,” she told Sky Sports. “The only two losses on my record are here and in London.

“I did that because you don’t need to be protected in boxing if you want to fight the best… It’s discouraging me from wanting to be that type of fighter which I feel boxing needs, people like me.”

Mayer has broadcast her call for a rematch with Jonas.

“It’s really now on Tasha to see what kind of champion she is,” the American said.

“She knows. She’s going to see the heat on social media, like a lot of people feel that she didn’t win that fight. If that were me I’d want to get it back.

“She seems to be a stand up, good person and wants to challenge herself. She seems like a good champion. But we’ll see.

“I hope she doesn’t move on and try and fight other women.”

Mayer was having her first fight in the welterweight division, her pro fight against a southpaw in Jonas and looked dangerous throughout. That would suggest there is still more to come from her.

“I felt strong, I felt really strong. I felt as strong as I’ve ever felt. I felt my punches were doing damage. But I could feel her strength too. I felt I was in a welterweight fight. I was no longer in the lightweight division — I could tell,” she said.

The quality of their action-packed fight will further fuel calls for a rematch.

“I knew neither one of us were going to stop throwing our hands. That’s why I told myself in my head take this fight one round at a time, win every round,” Mayer said.

“That’s the frustrating part. I feel like I did really well there, I laid it all on the line so another fight, it’s going to be hard to go back into camp and do that again.

“Obviously I want the opportunity to do that.”

She does have faith though that further title chances will present themselves to her.

“I know what happens when you take a loss,” she said, but added: “It doesn’t feel the same as the (Alycia) Baumgardner loss. It really doesn’t. Especially as I’m new in this division and I don’t have the belts.

“So I’m still a top contender and I still feel like the fans would want to see me fight. The fans would want to see me fight everybody.

“If Natasha doesn’t want to give me the rematch then I don’t know what the next move is going to be but I’m going to figure it out.”