GWENT boxing star Ashley Brace has backed a call by double Olympic champion Nicola Adams to make three-minute rounds the standard for women’s fights.

The British Boxing Board of Control does not differentiate between the sexes when it comes to the length of rounds in the professional ranks.

However, since 1998, it has become the norm for female boxers to fight rounds lasting two minutes, something that has been the case for Brace in all seven of her pro outings to date.

Adams, a gold medallist at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016, began her career in the paid code this April with a four two-minute round contest.

But when the 34-year-old took to the ring again last month it was for a fight that featured three-minute rounds, and Adams isn’t keen on going back to 120- second sessions.

Ebbw Vale’s Brace is siding with Adams on this issue, with the former also targeting longer rounds in which to show off her full array of skills.

Brace, 26, is well accustomed to the men’s 180- second standard thanks to the time she spends sparring with her male stablemates at St Joseph’s gym in Newport.

If her last bout, a points victory over Croatia’s Nevenka Mikulic on the Cyclone Promotions show at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on May 26, hadn’t been shown live on television then she might have got her three-minute wish.

On the matter, she said: “I agreed on two-minute rounds for my last fight because they said it would affect the television timings, but I do think the aim is to fight three-minute rounds.

“Nicola Adams had the rounds changed to three minutes for her last fight and I do three-minute rounds with the boys in the gym.

“I think men and women should be the same.”

Brace felt that more rounds against Mikulic would have seen her stop the Croat.

She added: “It was only six rounds and I felt I didn’t rea-lly have enough time, I could have done with another two rounds.

“But it was a good fight against a very tough opponent who took everything I threw at her.

“I watched the fight back afterwards and knew if I’d had a bit more time I would have stopped her.”

It is understood that Brace could be in action next on another Cyclone Promotions show in September.

The WBC international bantamweight queen is hoping to go for a European title.

Elsewhere in Gwent boxing, St Joseph’s-trained Dale Evans is scheduled to challenge Bradley Skeete for the British welterweight crown.

Champion Skeete made a second successful defence of his belt against Shayne Singleton in Essex last Friday.

The British Boxing Board of Control have ordered the Skeete-Evans fight to take place before September.

Newbridge’s Bradley Pryce suffered a 23rd professional defeat when losing on points to Scotland’s Kieran Smith over eight rounds at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley.

That’s now three losses on the spin for former Commonwealth super-welterweight king Pryce.

While he plans for his 62nd bout in the paid ranks, a fighter from Newport is just starting out in the world of professional boxing.

Adam Cueto, who will campaign at cruiserweight, has signed a deal with manager Richie Garner.