Mikaela Mayer will likely turn to old business for a new title reign.

The Ring has learned that Mayer is due to return to the ring in early spring. The two-division and reigning WBO welterweight titlist will make the first defense against an opponent to be determined.

Former titleholder Sandy Ryan is the leading candidate to land the assignment. Such a clash would represent a rematch to their fantastic Sept. 27 clash. Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) via majority decision to dethrone England’s Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City.

The grudge match came with its share of controversy in and out of the ring. The final decision was debatable, though more so the 97-93 card in favor of Mayer.

Of greater concern was the pre-fight trauma experienced by Ryan. The now former titlist was hit with a can of red paint as she exited her hotel on the way to Hulu Theater for fight night. The assault remains under investigation, though Ryan’s team have continued to suggest that Mayer was involved, indirectly or otherwise.

Mayer has repeatedly denied having any role in the incident in question, and publicly condemned the attack.

Whether it’s Ryan or another challenger, Mayer’s next fight will take place on the U.S. West Coast. The exact location will be determined in the coming weeks, as Top Rank—whose representatives did not immediately respond to messages seeking clarification—continues to firm up its early 2025 schedule.

The likely destination will be Las Vegas, Mayer’s current hometown.

Mayer became a welterweight titlist on her second try. She began the year in a thriller with Englands’s Natasha Jonas (16-2-1, 9 KOs), who won their Jan. 20 title fight via split decision in her Liverpool hometown. Jonas successfully defended her IBF belt and since added the WBC title in a dominant points win over Ivana Habazin (23-6, 7 KOs) on Dec. 14, also in Liverpool.

Next up for Jonas is a March 7 unification bout with The Ring/WBA champion Lauren Price. Should Mayer-Ryan II move forward, it will put The Ring’s top four welterweights in the ring and every major divisional title at stake all in the span of less than a month.

Jonas, Mayer and Ryan are No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, to Price’s championship throne. Both Jonas (No. 9) and Mayer (No. 10) are among The Ring top ten pound-for-pound fighters.

Mayer—who represented the U.S. in the 2016 Rio Olympics—previously held the IBF and WBO junior lightweight titles. She made three successful WBO title defenses before a disputed split decision defeat to Alycia Baumgardner 15-1 (7 KOs) in their Oct. 2022 Ring, WBC, IBF and WBO 130-pound championship unification in London.

The controversial defeat to Baumgardner—The Ring and undisputed 130-pound champ and No. 9 pound-for-pound fighter—was Mayer’s last at 130. She has since fought once each at lightweight and junior welterweight before the move up to welterweight.