Natasha Jonas believes that Lauren Price will bring out the very best in her when the British rivals meet in a welterweight title unification at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall on March 7th. The fight will be screened by Sky Sports.

Last December, the two world champions shared a bill entitled ‘Collision Course’ in Jonas’ hometown of Liverpool.

Jonas (16-2-1, 9 KOs), was just too good for Ivana Habazin and comfortably outpointed the Croatian, adding her WBC title to her own IBF belt to become a unified champion in a second division. In 2022, Jonas, 40, tore through the super welterweight division, collecting the Ring Magazine, WBC, WBO and IBF belts.

An hour earlier, WBA and Ring Magazine welterweight champion, 31-year-old Price (8-0, 2 KOs) had blitzed Bexci Mateus, dropping the overmatched Colombian in every round and stopping her in the third.

The path is now clear for the biggest and most significant fight ever to take place between two British women but the clash also looks like being a fascinating tactical battle between two clever, accomplished fighters who have shown the ability to take the initiative and dominate opponents who aren’t in their league but are also happy to let a fight come to them and then make their opponents pay for their mistakes.

“I think that's a southpaw thing so it's going to be interesting when we're both southpaws in there, because we kind of box kind of the same,” Jonas told The Ring.

“I think she thinks that the age and the speed is going to be a factor. She's got a good jab, good feet. It's kind of amateur-stylish still but I think my two biggest things - and they always have been - are my timing and my accuracy. So, I think I combat that anyway. We'll see.

“Without sounding disrespectful, I can switch off against Habazin. I can switch off against a Kandi Wyatt.

“Can I switch off against Katie Taylor? No. Can I switch off against Mikaela Mayer? No. I like them camps because I know it's focused, it's motivated. I’m on it. There's a different Tasha that comes out. A different Miss GB.”

Jonas readily accepts that her time in the sport is drawing to a close but she isn’t making the mistake of preparing for the formidable Price as if it is her final fight.

Beating the Welshwoman would be the biggest win of her career but adding Price’s WBA and The Ring welterweight titles to her own trophy collection would also provide extra bait for a trap she is setting.

Jonas wants to round out her career with a rematch against either current WBO welterweight champion and The Ring’s No. 2 ranked contender, Mikaela Mayer or Ireland’s two-weight champion and current undisputed and Ring Magazine super lightweight title holder, Katie Taylor.

Jonas beat Mayer in a thrilling IBF welterweight title fight in Liverpool last January and a return has been mooted ever since.

Jonas and Taylor have a much longer history. They met at the London Olympics in 2012 and their quarter final clash evoked the loudest crowd noise recorded at any event at the entire Games. Taylor won the fight and went on to win the gold medal.

They renewed hostilities in 2021 at Manchester’s M.E.N Arena, Taylor successfully defending her WBC, WBO and IBF titles with a hard fought, razor close unanimous decision.

Although both fighters have taken their illustrious careers to even greater heights since, they have always remained within each other’s orbits.

Taylor retained her 140lb titles by outpointing her old victim, Amanda Serrano, in an outstanding rematch last November and is beginning to plot her exit from the sport she has dominated for so long.

A third fight with Serrano would be lucrative and high profile but the thought of completing the circle and beating her old amateur rival to become a unified champion in a third weight division would be a tantalising prospect worthy of consideration.

Jonas has spent enough time around Taylor to know exactly how she thinks and also believes that Mayer would jump at the chance to meet for the undisputed welterweight title.

Neither of the things will happen if she doesn’t get past Price.

“I definitely think being a three-weight champion is something that would entice her [Taylor] and that's the whole point about keeping the belt. That's why keeping the belt is so important,” Jonas said.

“If you haven't got a belt, you're just a lot of risk with no reward. The same with Michaela Mayer, when she lost against [Alycia] Baumgardner and then she lost against me. That was a big fight for Sandy [Ryan] to take because she's a lot of risk and she didn't have a reward except the American audience [Ryan lost her WBO welterweight title to Mayer last September].

“I think you've got to have something tangible for them to entice them to want to fight you and whether that's a Katie Taylor fight or whether that's a Michaela Mayer rematch - whichever comes after the Lauren Price - it's still an undisputed fight.”