Lauren Price to defend unified welterweight titles against Michaela Kotaskova in Cardiff

Lauren Price will defend her WBA, WBC and IBF welterweight titles against Michaela Kotaskova at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena on Friday, November 20.

The fight will be shown live in the UK on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Price, who is also recognised as champion by The Ring, returns to the venue where she outpointed mandatory challenger Stephanie Piñeiro Aquino in April.

“There’s nothing better than fighting at home in Wales,” Price said. “The atmosphere in Cardiff is always incredible and I can’t wait to walk out in front of my home fans again.

“I’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this position and I’m not giving anything up. Kotaskova is a tough, experienced opponent who has competed at world level, but I believe I’m the best welterweight on the planet and on November 20 I’m going to show it.”

Price, 32, is unbeaten in 10 professional fights, with two victories inside the distance. The southpaw won Olympic gold in Tokyo before becoming Wales’ first female professional world champion by defeating former undisputed champion Jessica McCaskill for the WBA and IBO titles in Cardiff in May 2024.

She added the WBC and IBF belts with a unanimous decision over Natasha Jonas at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March 2025, then retained them against Piñeiro Aquino.

An undisputed fight with WBO champion Mikaela Mayer and a lucrative contest against Claressa Shields have both been considered for Price, but neither materialised. She will instead make another defence of her three major sanctioning-body titles against an opponent who has lost only once in 15 professional bouts.

Kotaskova, 34, is dropping back to welterweight after losing on points to Chantelle Cameron in London in April. Their contest was for the vacant WBO junior-middleweight title and remains Kotaskova’s only defeat. The Czech fighter is unbeaten at 147lbs and holds the WBF title.

“I have a lot of respect for Lauren and everything she has achieved, but I am coming to Cardiff to take her titles,” Kotaskova said. “I have already shown that I can compete with the best fighters in the world.

“Welterweight is my natural division, I am undefeated at this weight and I believe this is my moment. I know I will be walking into an arena full of Lauren’s fans, but that only gives me more motivation.”

Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom acknowledged Price’s ambitions beyond this defence but said she could not afford to overlook Kotaskova.

“Kotaskova is a good fighter and will provide a tough test but Lauren has huge ambitions, and she knows she has to keep winning and keep producing big performances to secure her legacy,” Shalom said.

The undercard will feature Welsh featherweight Rhys Edwards against Scotland’s former British, Commonwealth and European champion Lee McGregor for the WBA Continental title. Unbeaten Cardiff middleweight Kyran Jones is also scheduled to face Liverpool’s Sean Arkwright.