Katie Taylor beats Amanda Serrano for third time, ends rivalry

Katie Taylor went to 3-0 against Amanda Serrano in a fight that looked little like their first two wars.

Katie Taylor is now 3-0 against Amanda Serrano, wrapping their trilogy with the worst fight of the three and a majority decision victory to remain the undisputed super lightweight champion.

Taylor (25-1, 6 KO) won on scores of 95-95, 97-93, and 97-93. Bad Left Hook unofficially scored the fight 97-94 for Taylor.

Taylor, 39, and Serrano, 36, were both far more cautious and tentative than in their first two bouts from 2022 and 2024, which were classic encounters. This one closer resembled this past May’s dud between Devin Haney and Jose Ramirez, though Madison Square Garden provided a much better atmosphere with actual fans than we got from a closed off patch of concrete in Times Square that night.

The first round saw neither land anything of any consequence, and the second round followed in that style. Serrano’s corner repeatedly stated their concern about the head clashes of prior fights, and tried to box at more of a distance. They may have been overly obsessed with that factor, though, as Serrano struggled to land clean shots on Taylor at that distance, and Taylor had the clearest rounds of the bout, though it was once again quite hard to judge many rounds, as Taylor didn’t bring a lot of action, either. The Irish legend was content to box with Serrano, confident that she was the better boxer.

In the end, two of three judges felt she was.

“I just want to thank Amanda Serrano. What an amazing fighter,” Taylor said of Serrano. “We made history again. Three times. It’s such an historic fight, it’s such a privilege to share a ring with her. We’re history-makers forever, and my name is embedded with Amanda’s forever, and I’m so happy about that.”

Serrano came over at that point to embrace Taylor.

“I thought I’d done enough, I thought I was boxing very smart, very well,” Taylor continued. “She wasn’t catching me with much tonight. But it’s always a very, very close contest between myself and Amanda. I was planning to come in here and fight disciplined and smart. I was planning on doing it (the first two times), but it didn’t work out like that.”

“I tried something different, it was all about working smarter, not harder,” Serrano said. “I tried to keep my distance, tried not to go in there and fight with her, because apparently that didn’t work the first two fights. I guess — I mean, it just wasn’t enough. One judge saw it even. I don’t know, I’d have to go back and see it. My team said I won.”

Serrano returned the thanks Taylor gave her, as well.

“Thank you, Katie Taylor, for an incredible three fights, an incredible 30 rounds,” she said. “It’s been truly an honor and amazing to be with you. You’re a true champion and a true warrior.”

Taylor was then asked if she’d continue fighting, but she said with a smile, “I don’t know, I just don’t want to fight Amanda Serrano again, she punches too hard.”