Lauren Price

Lauren Louise Price (born 25 June 1994) is a British professional boxer and former kickboxer and footballer. She has held the unified WBA, WBC, IBF, IBO, and Ring female welterweight championship since 2025. She was the first-ever female British professional boxing champion having won the welterweight title in 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 the 2014 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 the 2018 Commonwealth Games, followed by a gold at the 2019 World Championships. While representing Great Britain, she won gold medals at the 2019 European Games and 2020 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 the European Games) being the only major prize eluding her, despite winning three bronze medals.

Price also played football for several years with Cardiff City, winning the inaugural season of the Welsh Premier Women's Football League in 2013. Having captained Wales at under-19 level, she made her senior debut in 2012. She gave up playing football in 2014 to focus on her boxing career.

Early life Price was born in Newport, but grew up in Bargoed, where she was brought up by her grandparents. She attended Heolddu Comprehensive School in Bargoed. She showed a keen interest in several sports, taking up football, netball, and kickboxing at the age of ten, the last after encouragement from her grandfather. 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, She went on to become a four-time world champion and six-time European champion in the sport and later competed in Taekwondo.

She progressed to the senior team at Cardiff and won the inaugural Welsh 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. Price was named the club's Player of the Year during their title winning season. Price was also named the Football Association of Wales (FAW) Club Player of the Year. In 2014, Price stepped away from football to concentrate on her boxing career ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Price made her debut for the Wales senior side on 16 June 2012, replacing Sarah Wiltshire in the closing stages of a 1–0 victory over Republic of Ireland.

Amateur boxing career Price initially took up boxing as a teenager but became further involved in the sport after watching Nicola Adams win gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She met Ariane Fortin in the semi-final but suffered a split decision defeat.

Price claimed another bronze medal at the 2016 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. At the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India, she guaranteed herself a bronze medal after beating Elzbieta Wojckik of Poland in her middleweight quarter-final. She lost 3-2 on the judges' scorecards in the semi-fina against Nouchka Fontijin of Holland. winning the gold medal.

Price competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, beating Dutch boxer Nouchka Fontijn in the middleweight semi-final. She went on to win gold against Li Qian of China, making her the first Welsh boxer of any gender to win an Olympic gold medal.

Professional boxing career On 6 May 2023 at Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, 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 a Lonsdale Belt. She defeated Kirstie Bavington by unanimous decision.

WBA welterweight champion Price vs. McCaskill On 14 March 2024, it was announced that Price would challenge Jessica McCaskill for her WBA, IBO, and Ring female welterweight World titles on 11 May 2024 at Cardiff International Arena in Cardiff, Wales. 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.

Price vs. Mateus Price made the first defense of her WBA, IBO and Ring welterweight titles against Bexcy Mateus at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool, England, on 14 December 2024. She won by stoppage in the third round.

Unified welterweight champion Price vs. Jonas Price defeated Natasha Jonas by unanimous decision at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, on 7 March 2025 to retain her WBA welterweight title, and claim the WBC and IBF titles.

Price vs. Piñeiro After more than a year away from the competitive boxing ring, Price made the first defence of her unified WBC, WBA and IBF female welterweight titles against the previously undefeated Stephanie Pineiro Aquino on 4 April 2026 at Cardiff International Arena in Cardiff, Wales. She won by unanimous decision.

Professional boxing record

Personal life Price studied a Foundation Degree in Football Coaching and Development at the University of South Wales. Price was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to boxing.

Her partner was featherweight boxer and fellow southpaw Karriss Artingstall for some time, but in April 2025, Price announced her engagement to Carlie Jones. The couple married on 30 May 2026.

Honours Cardiff City Welsh Premier Women's Football League; 2012–13