Mikaela Mayer openly admitted that Chantelle Cameron’s trash‑talk after their bout was the spark that set off the heated exchange that followed their super‑welterweight showdown in Birmingham. Mayer confessed that she reacted in a manner she now regrets, saying she "acted in a way that I shouldn't have." The loss marked only the third defeat of Mayer’s professional career, but it also meant she surrendered the unified titles she entered Birmingham with. The fight lived up to its hype, pitting two of the sport’s pound‑for‑pound elite against each other and further cementing Cameron’s claim to a place among the legends of women’s boxing.
Tensions between the two athletes had already boiled over at the weigh‑in on Friday, where security had to intervene to separate them after a physical scuffle. The animosity resurfaced in the ring on Saturday night, with Mayer, after the judges scored the bout 97‑93, 97‑93 and 96‑94 in Cameron’s favor, shouting, "I did beat you!" to the newly crowned unified WBA, WBC and WBO champion. In an interview with Sky Sports News, Mayer reflected on the aftermath: "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. I'm not going to lie, I heard her on the mic talking trash and it triggered me.
It brought something out of me and I feel like I acted in a way that I shouldn't have." Mayer traced the origins of the rivalry back to the pre‑fight build‑up, noting that the two had generally gotten along until a face‑off escalated things. "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 harbored unspoken resentment. Cameron, who had previously said she genuinely respected Mayer before the tension rose, turned the tables after the decision. "I was looking at her before the bell rang and thought, 'I'm going to smash your head in'," Cameron said.
"And it worked. I was feeling the energy, she didn't want to be in there." The bout lived up to its billing, with both fighters showing visible signs of battle by the ninth round.
Mayer suffered a cut above her eye while Cameron bled from hers, yet both embraced at the final bell before the verbal sparring resumed. A day after the contentious verdict, Mayer adopted a more measured tone. "I have not watched the fight back, but I am open to the idea that it was too close," she said.
"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.
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 impressive line to her résumé, which already includes the sole professional loss handed to Katie Taylor.
Still, the Briton downplayed any talk of being the greatest of all time, insisting that Claressa Shields retains that distinction. Mayer confirmed that a rematch clause is embedded in their contract and she expects it to be exercised. She also revealed that she declined to relinquish her WBC belt to accommodate three‑minute rounds for the Saturday fight, leaving the decision about round length in the hands of the new champion.
"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, for her part, made three‑minute rounds a condition for any immediate rematch. "I want to do this again," she said on Saturday night. "It's up to Mikaela, but I want to do three‑minute rounds." Her coach, Jamie Moore, added that the champion could vacate the WBC title if the sanctioning body objected to the round change.
MVP co‑founder Nakisa Bidarian welcomed the prospect of a second meeting and noted that Cameron has been pushing for fights with Claressa Shields and Lauren Price "from the jump." He also asserted that the 35‑year‑old Briton is "unequivocally" among the top two or three female fighters of all time, if not the greatest. While Mayer had previously insisted any rematch should take place in the United States, she did not specify a venue in her latest comments, instead expressing gratitude to the British fans.
"I love you guys, I can't wait to come back. I'm here for your entertainment," she said, underscoring her appreciation for the support she received throughout the intense encounter.