LONDON (AP) — Olympic gold medalist Lauren Price will head home to Wales to defend her world welterweight titles against fellow undefeated fighter Stephanie Pineiro Aquino of Puerto Rico on April 4.
The 31-year-old Price (9-0) holds the WBA, WBC and IBF titles and hasn't fought since a unanimous decision victory over Natasha Jonas last March.
“Defending my world titles at home in Wales means everything to me,” Price said. “I want to repay the support everyone has shown me with another great performance. I never turn down a challenge. Stephanie Pineiro Aquino is a dangerous fighter, but nothing is going to stop me from getting my hand raised on April 4 in Cardiff.”
Price, who won a gold medal for Britain at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, became Wales’ first female world champion, promoters Boxxer said, by beating Jessica McCaskill in 2024. That title fight was also at Utilita Arena in Cardiff.
Pineiro Aquino (10-0) is the mandatory challenger and stands in the way of Price's potential undisputed showdown with WBO champion Mikaela Mayer.
“Lauren may have the home fans on her side, but I have a country behind me too,” the 35-year-old Pineiro Aquino said. "I am coming to take those belts back to Puerto Rico.”
AP boxing: https://www.apnews.com/boxing
FILE - Gold medal winner Britain's Lauren Price during their women's middleweight 75-kg boxing medal ceremony at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
FILE - Puerto Rico's Stephanie Pineiro Aquino celebrates after defeating the Dominican Republic's Maria Moronta, during the women's 66kg boxing final of the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador, Wednesday, June 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco, File)
FILE - British boxer Lauren Price attends a boxing media workout in London, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Real Madrid faces an immediate rematch with Benfica after the teams were drawn together in the Champions League playoffs on Friday.
Benfica beat Madrid 4-2 on Wednesday to deny the 15-time European champion direct qualification to the round of 16 and force it into the uncertainty of the playoffs.
Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain must also take that route and faces an all-French showdown with Monaco. And this season's surprise package, tiny Norwegian team Bodø/Glimt, will play last year's beaten finalist Inter Milan.
The winners of the two-legged playoffs will advance to the round of 16, where Madrid may yet face another showdown with Manchester City.
The draw means former Madrid coach Jose Mourinho will return to the Bernabeu with Benfica after pulling off a stunning win in the final round of the league phase, which included a goal from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin in the eighth minute of added time.
Leading 3-2 after the 90-minute mark, Benfica needed another goal to climb into the playoffs on goal difference. It managed that in the most dramatic fashion when Ukranian keeper Trubin headed in the crucial goal.
Defeat saw Madrid — which had started the match in third place — drop out of the top eight, which directly advance to the round of 16.
Mourinho — a two-time Champions League winner — will have the chance to inflict more pain on his former club, which let go of coach Xabi Alonso last month and has turned to Alvaro Arbeloa to try to salvage the season.
PSG, which won the Champions League in such thrilling style last season, will have to take the long way round in its defense of the trophy. It plays a Monaco team that is nine places and 21 points below it in the French league.
PSG’s triumph last year also saw it advance via the playoffs.
Bodø/Glimt has been the story of this season’s competition so far after back-to-back upsets against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid to reach the playoffs on its debut in European club soccer's biggest competition. And it will present a major threat to Inter's hopes of progressing.
Benfica vs. Real Madrid
Bodø/Glimt vs. Inter Milan
Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain
Qarabag vs. Newcastle
Galatasaray vs. Juventus
Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid
Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta
Olympiakos vs. Bayer Leverkusen
The first legs will be played over Feb. 17-18.
The second legs over Feb. 24-25.
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City.
The Europa League final this season is in Istanbul, but Nottingham Forest will take an early journey to the Turkish city after being drawn against Fenerbahce in the playoff round. Scottish champion Celtic plays Germany's Stuttgart, while Spanish club Celta Vigo faces Greek team PAOK, and Lille of France takes on Red Star Belgrade of Serbia.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
The group formations are shown after the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off draw, at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique reacts during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Sporting CP and Paris Saint-Germain, in Lisbon, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Real Madrid's head coach Alvaro Arbeloa gestures during a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Benfica and Real Madrid, in Lisbon, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Benfica's head coach Jose Mourinho runs celebrating at the end of a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Benfica and Real Madrid, in Lisbon, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
