Price to defend unified welterweight titles against Kotaskova in Cardiff on November 20
Lauren Price will defend her unified welterweight titles against Michaela Kotaskova at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff on Friday, 20 November, with the fight shown live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. The Welsh champion returns to home soil for the defence.
Price holds the IBF, WBA and WBC belts and staged her previous defence at the same venue last April, when the 32-year-old southpaw claimed a hard-fought victory over mandatory challenger Stephanie Pineiro Aquino. She is a former Olympic champion from Bargoed and will again fight in front of a Cardiff crowd.
The former Olympic champion from Bargoed said: "There's nothing better than fighting at home in Wales. 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. "I want to put on a big performance and give everyone in Wales another night to remember."
Czech challenger Michaela Kotaskova, 34, arrives as the current WBF titleholder and has suffered one defeat in 15 professional fights. Her sole loss was on points to Chantelle Cameron when they met for the vacant WBO super-welterweight title in April 2026; Kotaskova is returning to her natural welterweight division, where she remains undefeated.
Said Kotaskova: "I have a lot of respect for Lauren and everything she has achieved, but I am coming to Cardiff to take her titles. "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. I am ready to make history on November 20."
Price's promoter Ben Shalom said: "Lauren Price is one of the biggest names in British boxing and there is something special about seeing her fight at home in Wales. "She has already created some incredible moments in Cardiff and we're delighted to bring her back for another major world title night, live and free-to-air on the BBC. "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. We're expecting another special night in Cardiff on November 20."
Graham Davies, managing editor for Sport at BBC Cymru Wales, said: "Lauren Price is one of the standout stars of British boxing and we're delighted to bring her return to Cardiff to audiences across the UK. "Lauren's journey from Olympic champion to unified world champion has been remarkable, and this latest title defence promises to be another exciting chapter. "Bringing world-class boxing live and free-to-air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer gives fans everywhere the opportunity to follow that journey and enjoy another huge night of boxing from Cardiff."
On the undercard, Welsh featherweight Rhys Edwards takes on Scotland's former British, Commonwealth and European champion Lee McGregor for the WBA continental title. Also confirmed is unbeaten middleweight Kyran Jones from Cardiff, who will look to extend his perfect record against Liverpool's Sean Arkwright. Both bouts are part of the Cardiff bill for the world-title event on Friday, 20 November, which will be televised live on BBC Two and available on BBC iPlayer.