Mikaela Mayer opened up about how Chantelle Cameron's trash‑talk after their clash in Birmingham sparked the heated exchange that followed their super‑welterweight showdown. The American fighter admitted she "acted in a way I shouldn't have" after hearing Cameron's comments, acknowledging that the words ignited a strong emotional response.
The bout was only the third loss of Mayer's professional career, but it carried far more weight than a typical defeat. By stepping into the ring in Birmingham, she risked the unified titles she had defended all night, and the fight lived up to its hype as a meeting of two of the sport's premier pound‑for‑pound athletes.
Cameron emerged as the new holder of the WBA, WBC and WBO belts, bolstering her claim to a place among the all‑time greats in women's boxing. Tensions between the two fighters had been simmering for weeks.
At the weigh‑in on Friday, security had to intervene to separate them after a brief physical scuffle. The animosity resurfaced in the arena on Saturday night, where, after a close decision – 97‑93, 97‑93 and 96‑94 in favour of Cameron – Mayer confronted the new champion, insisting "I did beat you" despite the judges' scores. In an interview with Sky Sports News, Mayer reflected on her mindset in the immediate aftermath of the fight. "In the heat of the moment after the fight, I felt I had won, but I knew it was close, and I was prepared to go to the mic and give her her props and say I'm looking forward to the rematch," she said.
She went on to admit that Cameron's post‑fight remarks "triggered" her. "I heard her on the mic talking trash and it brought something out of me and I feel like I acted in a way that I shouldn't have," Mayer confessed. Mayer traced the origins of their rivalry back to the pre‑fight build‑up. "We were always actually really cool, and the only thing that kind of triggered that rivalry was me getting in her face during the face‑off," she explained, suggesting that Cameron may have harboured lingering resentment that later surfaced in her verbal sparring.
Cameron, for her part, admitted she had "genuinely respected" Mayer before the tension escalated. After the fight she said, "I was looking at her before the bell rang and thought, 'I'm going to smash your head in.' And it worked.
I was feeling the energy, she didn't want to be in there." The fight lived up to its billing, with both combatants showing visible signs of battle by the ninth round – Mayer with an eye cut and Cameron with a bleeding nose – before they embraced at the final bell, only for the verbal exchange to resume moments later. A day after the controversial decision, Mayer's tone shifted. She said she had not yet reviewed the fight footage but was open to the possibility that the judges' call was close. "I told myself I would not let the fight get close, and I didn't do that.
I let it get too close, and so I can't be upset at the decision," she said. "It wasn't my night, and I have to give her the props for the win.
She's a great fighter, and I'm just excited to go fix my mistakes and do better." Cameron's victory added another milestone to an already impressive résumé, which includes the only professional loss ever handed to Katie Taylor. Despite the buzz around her becoming the greatest of all time, Cameron downplayed that narrative, insisting that Claressa Shields still holds that title. Mayer confirmed that a rematch clause exists in their contract and that she expects it to be activated.
She also revealed she had turned down the idea of vacating her WBC belt to fight under three‑minute rounds, a stipulation Cameron later demanded. "I don't see a way that it doesn't happen because it's in the contract," Mayer said. "We both want it and we'll make it happen. I wasn't willing to vacate my WBC belt in order to go three‑minute rounds.
In order to go three‑minute rounds, I had to vacate that WBC belt but I know how much the belts play a role in your negotiation. She has the belts and she wants to go three‑minute rounds. We can absolutely do that.
I have no problem with that. It's her choice now, just like it was my choice for this fight." Cameron reiterated her preference for three‑minute rounds in the aftermath of her dramatic win, stating, "I want to do this again. It's up to Mikaela, but I want to do three‑minute rounds." Her coach, Jamie Moore, added that the champion could relinquish the WBC belt if the sanctioning body objects to the round length. MVP co‑founder Nakisa Bidarian welcomed the prospect of a second meeting between the fighters and disclosed that Cameron has been pushing for bouts with Claressa Shields and Lauren Price "from the jump." He emphasized that the 35‑year‑old Briton is "unequivocally" among the top two or three female fighters of all time, if not the greatest.
Mayer, who had previously insisted any rematch should take place in the United States, did not specify a venue for a potential sequel. Instead, she paid tribute to the British supporters who cheered her on.
"I love you guys, I can't wait to come back. I'm here for your entertainment," she said, underscoring her appreciation for the fans who made the night memorable. The episode illustrates how high‑stakes competition, personal pride, and media narratives can intertwine to create drama both inside and outside the ring. As both fighters look ahead, the boxing world will be watching closely to see whether a rematch materialises, whether it will be contested under three‑minute rounds, and how the rivalry will evolve now that both athletes have added another chapter to their storied careers.