Jessica McCaskill goes up against Lauren Price on Saturday, May 11 at Utilita Arena Cardiff in Cardiff, Wales. At the final pre-fight press conference the athletes previewed their bout and went face to face.
Two-division world champion McCaskill (12-3-1, 5 KOs) of St. Louis, MO battles the local favorite in front of her home country crowd. The Chicago-based 39-year-old former undisputed welterweight titleholder and unified super lightweight champion puts her WBA 147-pound belt on the line.
“The Welsh fans aren’t supporting me, but they’ve welcomed me with open arms and just want to see a great fight on Saturday night like everybody else,” Jessica McCaskill said. “I want to build fans everywhere I go. The excitement comes from stepping into my opponent’s back yard. I want to hear the crowd go wild and that will get me through the fight.”
Olympic Gold Medallist Price (6-0, 1 KOs) embraces the support of her fans. The 29-year-old southpaw of Newport, Wales fights for her first world title as a pro.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of support I’ve received – it’s blown me out the park,” Lauren Price said. “I can’t thank the Welsh fans enough, there’s going to be some noise in there on Saturday night and I can’t wait to put on a show. I’m going to take my time on the ring walk, enjoy myself, soak it all in but when I get in that ring it’s game on and time for business.”
In the co-feature on the card, unbeaten Welsh Rhys Edwards (15-0, 4 KOs) and Thomas Patrick Ward (34-1-1, 5 KOs) of England battle it out for the vacant WBA Intercontinental featherweight belt. Among other bouts, Mark Jeffers (17-0, 4 KOs) of Northern Ireland takes on fellow-unbeaten Darren Johnstone (8-0, 2 KOs) of Scotland at super middleweight.