Welsh sensation Lauren Price becomes unified welterweight champion in just her SEVENTH fight, with Jessica McCaskill stopped due to nasty swollen eye

Lauren Price outclassed Jessica Maskill to win the unified welterweight titleThe 29-year-old won a lopsided unanimous decision over nine rounds in Cardiff The Olympic gold medallist was competing in just her seventh fight as a pro 

Lauren Price claimed the WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine welterweight world titles with a comprehensive victory over Jessica McCaskill in Cardiff.

The fight was called off two seconds in to the ninth round, with McCaskill unable to continue because of a swollen right eye.

Because of a head clash, the decision went to the judges' scorecards and Price was a clear winner on all three following a boxing masterclass from the Welsh fighter.

'I believe this is just the start,' Price said after her victory.

'I want to come back here and create a legacy.

Lauren Price defeated Jessica McCaskill to win the unified WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine welterweight titles

The 29-year-old won every round as she became Wales' first-ever female world champion

The clash went to the judges' scorecards early after nine rounds following a clash of heads

'She came at me from round one and it took me a while to get my distance, but I enjoyed myself and I'm only going to get better.

'I want to fight at the Principality Stadium, that's the dream.'

Price was competing in only her seventh professional fight after a stellar amateur career that brought Olympic gold in Tokyo three years ago.

The former international footballer's target was to become Wales' 14th world champion - and the first female - on a night when home fans turned out in force to fill Cardiff's Utilita Arena.

Challenger Price, almost 10 years younger than her American opponent, entered the ring to Dafydd Iwan's anthem 'Yma O Hyd' before the playing of the Welsh national anthem rose the atmosphere to fever pitch.

No-one could doubt McCaskill's pedigree, with the Chicago resident having unified two divisions in her career and boasting more world title bouts on her CV than Price had pro fights.

McCaskill was also unbeaten at welterweight, but defeat to Chantelle Cameron and a draw with Sandy Ryan in her previous two contests had raised question marks against a fighter four months away from her 40th birthday.

Price controlled the action from the opening bell against the two-weight world champion

The southpaw found repeated success with her lead hand, as McCaskill's swelling worsened

There was clear respect between the pair in the opening stages, but the tempo rose as McCaskill roughhoused Price and the American was caught with a good punch as the bell sounded at the end of round two.

McCaskill was spoken to by referee Michael Alexander in the third after pushing Price back to the ropes again, with the crowd clearly unimpressed by the American's antics.

Price was starting to relax, landing some venomous punches while moving in and out of range well, and swelling began to appear around McCaskill's right eye.

McCaskill was under serious pressure as the fight reached the halfway point, with Price clearly targeting the American's swollen eye.

A welt was also growing out of McCaskill's left eye and Price continued to land counter-shots, with the American walking on to accurate punches.

The doctor was called in to examine McCaskill's right eye at the end of the seventh, but the fight continued with no shift in the balance of power until it was eventually called off.

Meanwhile Hughie Fury continued his comeback with a second-round stoppage of Patrick Korte on the undercard

Price can now move forward and target lucrative matches, with English pair Cameron and Ryan high on her list.

Rhys Edwards was crowned the new WBA Intercontinental featherweight champion with a unanimous points decision over Thomas Patrick Ward.

Hughie Fury - cousin of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury - continued his comeback with a second-round stoppage of Germany's Patrick Korte.

Fury was fighting for the second time in three weeks following a six-round points victory over Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko, having been out of action for three years due to health issues.