Lauren Price will defend her world titles on BBC Two in April against Stephanie Pineiro Aquino

Welsh woman Lauren Price will defend her unified welterweight world titles against Puerto Rican challenger Stephanie Pinheiro Aquino on Saturday, April 4 at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff.

The fight will be shown live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Price, 31, has not fought since she added her WBC and International Boxing Federation belts to her WBA title with a points win over Natasha Jonas in London last March.

“Defending my world titles on home soil in Wales means everything to me,” Price said. “I want to repay everyone’s support with another great performance.”

“I never turn down a challenge. Stephanie Pinheiro Aquino is a dangerous fighter, but nothing’s going to stop me from raising my hand on April 4th in Cardiff. Yes, Head.”

Price became the first Welsh boxer to win Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020. She turned professional in 2022 and will return to fighting in Wales for the first time since defeating Jessica McCaskill in her seventh professional bout to become world champion.

Aquino, 35, is unbeaten in 10 professional fights but has never competed outside of Puerto Rico.

“Lauren may have her fans on her side, but I have a country that supports me too,” Aquino said. “I’m coming to take those belts to Puerto Rico.”

A win could set Price up for a shot at becoming the undisputed champion, a goal she said she expected to achieve by the end of last year after her win over Jonas.

Price attended Michaela Mayer’s victory over British Sandy Ryan in Las Vegas last March, where the American defended her WBO welterweight title.

Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom said: “Lauren Price is not just a world champion, she is a Welsh sporting icon and one of the greatest athletes the country has ever produced.

“Bringing a huge world title defense to Cardiff for her, live on BBC Two, is something we are extremely proud of.”

On Saturday, British bantamweight Francesca Hennessy will headline the BBC Two show in a world title eliminator against Elie Butel.

It will be the third time in more than two decades that professional boxing has been shown in prime time on the BBC’s main channels, following Jimmy “TKV” Chikiva’s victory over Fraser Clarke in November and Troy Williamson’s victory over Callum Simpson in December.