Natasha Jonas retained the IBF welterweight title with a hard-fought 10-round split decision over Mikaela Mayer on Saturday at the Echo Arena in her native Liverpool, England.

Jonas (15-2-1, 9 KOs) got off to a fast start, beating Mayer to the punch and maneuvering out of harm’s way, but the popular 2012 Olympian had to withstand a hard rally from the American down the stretch of the entertaining fight to win by scores of 96-94 and 96-95. The third judge scored the bout 97-93 for Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs), an accomplished 2016 Olympian who pressed the nimble southpaw throughout the fight, landing straight rights in the first half (enough to swell Jonas’ left eye by the end of the bout) and connecting with hooks and body shots during the late rounds.

However, it was Jonas who landed the telling blows during the first half. She flashed the faster hands, the better timing and superior footwork, repeatedly getting off first while making Mayer miss.

“I think a good start, landing hard and accurate shots, got me through,” Jonas said after the bout.

Mayer stepped up her pressure and her punch output in Round 5, but still had trouble cutting off the ring or keeping Jonas on the ropes. However, by Round 7, a possibly winded Jonas was more willing to stand her ground and the two veterans battled it out in the center of the ring.

“We knew it was going to be [a barnburner]. It takes two to tango,” said Jonas.

“I knew it was going to be a battle, non-stop punches,” said Mayer, who was able to press Jonas to the ropes and keep her there during Round 8. The 33-year-old native of Woodland Hills, California kept the heat on Jonas in the final two rounds. It was a hotly contested fight and even in Liverpool, the outcome was in doubt.

“I know she’s going to be devastated because I’ve been there,” said Jonas, who dropped a close unanimous decision to undisputed lightweight champ Katie Taylor in 2021 before unifying 154-pound belts and winning the Ring Magazine junior middleweight title in 2022.

“She’s in the top two that I’ve fought. I need opponents like her to bring out my best. Please [Mikaela], use this as motivation and go out there and get your world title.”

Mayer, a former unified Ring Magazine junior lightweight champ who lost her 130-pound titles via split-decision to Alycia Baumgardner in 2022, was gracious in defeat but maintained that her hand should have been raised. She’s motivated for a rematch.

“I think you could see at the end [I got the better of Natasha],” said Mayer. “I thought I did enough to win. She won the first two rounds, but then I outpunched her and landed the cleaner shots. The fight is worth seeing again. I hope Tasha is a stand-up champ and gives me the rematch.”

If it’s going to happen it looks like it must be done this year. Jonas says she’s not interested in fighting into her 40s.

“This is probably my last year in boxing,” Jonas told the adoring Liverpool crowd.

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