Lauren Price MBE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Lauren Price in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1994-06-25)25 June 1994 (age 30) Newport, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight(s) | Welterweight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft5+1⁄2 in (166 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stance | Southpaw | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lauren Louise Price (born 25 June 1994)[1] is a Welshprofessional boxer, former amateur boxer and formerkickboxer andfootballer.[2] She has held the unifiedWBA,WBC,IBF,IBO andRing femalewelterweight since March 7,2025. She was the first-ever femaleBritish professional boxing champion having won thewelterweight title on 6 May 2023 and holding it until vacating the belt when she became World champion. While representing Wales in the amateur sport she won a bronze medal at the2014 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Welsh woman to win a Commonwealth Games boxing medal. Four years later she surpassed this achievement by winning gold at the2018 Commonwealth Games, followed by a gold at the2019 World Championships. While representing Great Britain, she won gold medals at the2019 European Games and2020 Summer Olympics.
As an amateur, Price was simultaneously the holder of the Olympic Games, World, European Games and Commonwealth Games titles at Middleweight through 2019 and 2021, with the European championship (the EBA continental championship distinct from theEuropean Games) being the only major prize eluding her, despite winning three bronze medals
Price also played football for several years withCardiff City, winning the inaugural season of theWelsh Premier Women's Football League in 2013. Having captained Wales at under-19 level, she made hersenior debut in 2012. She gave up playing football in 2014 to focus on her boxing career.
Price was born inNewport, Wales but grew up inYstrad Mynach,Caerphilly, where she was brought up by her grandparents.[3][4] She attendedHeolddu Comprehensive School inBargoed.[5] She showed a keen interest in several sports, taking upfootball,netball andkickboxing at the age of ten, the last after encouragement from her grandfather.[6] As a kickboxer, Price won a silver medal at a World Championships event in Athens in 2007 at the age of 13, competing against opponents twice her age,[5] and became the youngest ever competitor in the British Championships.[7] She went on to become a four-time world champion and six-time European champion in the sport and later competed inTaekwondo.[4]
Price was spotted by scouts fromCardiff City. She credited her kickboxing training with helping improve her play, commenting "I could kick a ball a lot further than any of my team mates" and noting that "I might have had a higher pain threshold than everyone else."[6] She was part of the club's under-16 side that won the Welsh section of theTesco Cup in 2010, being named player of the tournament.[8][9]
She progressed to the senior team at Cardiff and won the inauguralWelsh Premier Women's Football League title during the 2012–13 season after their decisive 5–2 victory over Wrexham in the final game of the season.[10] Price was named the club's Player of the Year during their title winning season.[11] Price was also named theFootball Association of Wales (FAW) Club Player of the Year.[12] In 2014, Price stepped away from football to concentrate on her boxing career ahead of the2014 Commonwealth Games.[4]
Having captained Wales at under-19 level,[13] Price made her debut for theWales senior side on 16 June 2012, replacingSarah Wiltshire in the closing stages of a 1–0 victory overRepublic of Ireland.[14]
Price initially took up boxing as a teenager but became further involved in the sport after watching British fighterNicola Adams win gold at the2012 Summer Olympics in London.[4][6] After competing in a single amateur bout at 17, she entered the Women's European and Youth World Championships where she claimed a bronze medal.[4] At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she became the first Welsh woman to claim a boxing medal in the Commonwealth Games after defeatingKaye Scott in the quarter-finals of thewomen's middleweight division to guarantee at least a bronze.[15][16] She metAriane Fortin in the semi-final but suffered a split decision defeat.[17][18]
She claimed another bronze medal at the2016 Women's European Amateur Boxing Championships. In 2018, she won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, after defeating Caitlin Parker via split decision in the final of the event.[19] In May 2019, Price was selected to compete at the2019 European Games inMinsk,Belarus,[20] winning the gold medal.[21]
Price competed in the2020 Summer Olympics inTokyo,[22] beating Dutch boxerNouchka Fontijn in the middleweight semi-final. She went on to win gold againstLi Qian of China, making her the first Welsh boxer of any gender to win an Olympic gold medal.[23][24]
On 6 May 2023 atResorts World Arena inBirmingham, England, Price won the first British women's title fight in professional boxing history, becoming the first female British welterweight champion and the first woman to receive aLonsdale Belt. She defeatedKirstie Bavington by unanimous decision.[25][26][27]
On 14 March 2024, it was announced that Price would challengeJessica McCaskill for herWBA,IBO, andRing femalewelterweight World titles on 11 May 2024 atCardiff International Arena inCardiff, Wales.[28][29] Price won the contest by unanimous technical decision after an accidental clash of heads that took place in the fifth round caused an injury to McCaskill's eye and she was ruled unable to continue at the start of round nine. The win made Price Wales’ first female professional boxing world champion.[30]
Price made the first defense of her WBA, IBO and Ring welterweight titles against Bexcy Mateus in Liverpool, England on 14 December 2024.[31][32][33] She won by stoppage in the third round.[34][35][36]
Price defeatedNatasha Jonas by unanimous decision at theRoyal Albert Hall in London, England on 7 March 2025 to retain her WBA welterweight title, and claim theWBC andIBF titles.[37][38][39][40]
| 9 fights | 9 wins | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 7 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Win | 9-0 | Natasha Jonas | UD | 10 | 7 Mar 2025 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | Retained WBA, IBO, andThe Ring female welterweight titles; WonWBC andIBF female welterweight titles |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Bexcy Mateus | TKO | 3 (10)1:42 | 14 Dec 2024 | Exhibition Centre, Liverpool, England | Retained WBA, IBO andThe Ring female welterweight titles |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Jessica McCaskill | TD | 9 (10),0:02 | 11 May 2024 | Cardiff International Arena,Cardiff, Wales | WonWBA,IBO, andThe Ring female welterweight titles |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Silvia Bortot | PTS | 8 | 10 Dec 2023 | Bournemouth International Centre,Bournemouth, England | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Lolita Muzeya | TD | 6 (8),0:24 | 2 Sep 2023 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England | Muzeya cut by a head clash in the 5th |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Kirstie Bavington | UD | 10 | 6 May 2023 | Resorts World Arena,Birmingham, England | Won inauguralBritish female welterweight title |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Naomi Mannes | UD | 8 | 11 Mar 2023 | Zénith Paris,Paris, France | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Timea Belik | TKO | 4 (6),1:18 | 15 Oct 2022 | The O2 Arena, London, England | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Valgerdur Gudstensdottir | PTS | 6 | 11 Jun 2022 | The SSE Arena Wembley,London, England |
Price studied a Foundation Degree in Football Coaching and Development at theUniversity of South Wales.[41] Price was appointedMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the2022 New Year Honours for services to boxing.[42][43]Her partner isfeatherweight boxer and fellow southpawKarriss Artingstall.[44][45]
Cardiff City
Individual
| Sporting positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional boxing titles | ||||
| New title | British welterweight champion 6 May 2023 – 11 May 2024 Won world title | Vacant | ||
| Minor world boxing titles | ||||
| Preceded by | IBO welterweight champion 11 May 2024 – present | Incumbent | ||
| Major world boxing titles | ||||
| Preceded by Jessica McCaskill | WBA welterweight champion 11 May 2024 – present | Incumbent | ||
| The Ring welterweight champion 11 May 2024 – present | ||||
| Preceded by | WBC welterweight champion 7 March 2025 – present | |||
| IBF welterweight champion 7 March 2025 – present | ||||
2012–2016: 60–75 kg · 2020: 70–75 kg · 2024–: Over 75 kg | |
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2001–present: up to 75 kg | |
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