Amanda Serrano-Erika Cruz Rematch January 3rd

Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced MVP’s first signee, boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (47-4-1, 31 KOs) will make her long-awaited return in front of her home Puerto Rican fans in a unified WBA and WBO world title defense against Mexico’s #4-ranked WBO contender Erika “Dinamita” Cruz (18-2-1, 4 KOs) on Saturday, January 3 at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico, live globally on DAZN. The 10-round highly anticipated rematch will be contested under equal rules to men with three-minute rounds, as Serrano makes her latest statement for equality in women’s boxing alongside Cruz.

In the pair’s first meeting, Serrano defeated Cruz by decision in February 2023 to become Puerto Rico’s first-ever undisputed boxing champion, male or female, in history. The blood-soaked war was a top fight of the year contender across ESPN, Boxing Scene, Dan Rafael, and more, and was named the WBO’s Female Fight Of The Year in 2023. Now, Cruz has the opportunity for redemption against Serrano, who will make her second unified world title defense contested with three-minute rounds. Presale for Serrano vs. Cruz 2 will begin Thursday, November 6 at 10am ET. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, November 7 at 12pm ET at prticket.com.

Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano is the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion and the most decorated fighter in women’s boxing history, recognized by the Guinness World Records for the most boxing world championships won by a female in different weight classes. Serrano is Most Valuable Promotions’ first signee, who also signed the first ever lifetime combat sports contract with MVP and will become Chairwoman of MVP’s women’s boxing initiatives to lead the company’s efforts in identifying, signing, developing and marketing the promotion’s growing roster of female athletes post her in-ring retirement. Serrano faced off against Katie Taylor for the first time at Madison Square Garden in April 2022, making history as the first women’s fight to headline Madison Square Garden, earning global acclaim and winning Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year for 2022. Taylor vs. Serrano was also nominated for Sports Business Journal’s Event of the Year, a testament to the global reach and power of the event. Following the historic bout, Serrano defeated Sarah Mahfoud and Erika Cruz en-route to becoming the undisputed featherweight champion. She successfully defended her undisputed title in August 2023 against Heather Hardy before making history again, defeating Danila Ramos in October 2023 in the first-ever women’s unified world championship contested over 12 three-minute rounds—equal to a men’s championship fight. She threw a career-high 1,103 punches in the bout, solidifying her status as a trailblazer for gender equality in boxing. In recognition of her achievements inside and outside the ring, Serrano was named the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Female Fighter of the Year for 2023, as well as Sports Illustrated’s and Boxing Scene’s 2023 Women’s Fighter of the Year. She continued her dominance in July 2024, scoring a second-round knockout victory over Stevie Morgan in a super lightweight bout.

Serrano went on to face Katie Taylor in the most anticipated women’s boxing rematch in modern history in the co-main event of MVP’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson card on Netflix in November 2024. The undisputed super lightweight title fight ended in a razor-thin decision victory for Taylor, sparking global debate and skyrocketing Serrano’s social following by over 1.2 million, making her the most-followed female boxer in the world. #Serrano also trended at #2 on X in the US, Brazil, Spain, and Canada post-fight, further cementing her status as a global icon. Serrano then faced Taylor a third and final time atop an all-women’s event at Madison Square Garden, commanding the world’s attention once again on Netflix, continuing to break barriers for women in combat sports with a historic trilogy. Serrano now makes her long-awaited homecoming to Puerto Rico on Saturday, January 3, set to face Cruz in an explosive meeting of two of the sport’s top 126lb stars.

“Every time I step into the ring, I fight for all women, for equality and for Puerto Rico,” said Amanda Serrano. “Getting to fight three-minute rounds in a unified world title defense in front of my people will be one of the proudest moments of my career. When I got injured last March, I promised I’d come back to fight in Puerto Rico, and now the moment is finally here. I want to thank Erika Cruz for her choice to face me over 10×3:00 and for joining me in making this statement for equality in women’s boxing. Together, we are showing all the young girls out there that they can do anything they put their mind to, and that women’s boxers deserve the same opportunities as men. Anyone who saw our first fight knows that this will be an all-out war, and we are ready to make history again on Saturday, January 3, live on DAZN globally.”

Erika “Dinamita” Cruz, 35 years old, is a proud southpaw fighter from Mexico City, Mexico. With a professional record of 18 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, including 4 knockouts, Cruz is currently ranked Boxrec’s #3 super bantamweight boxer in the world, the WBO’s #4 featherweight contender, and ESPN’s #4 super bantamweight contender. In 2021, she made history by capturing the WBA featherweight world title, defeating long-reigning champion Jelena Mrdjenovich. She went on to successfully defend her title twice, proving her dominance in the division. Continuing her rise, in 2023, Cruz once again showcased her power and determination by moving down in weight and defeating Mayerlin Rivas to claim the WBA super bantamweight world championship. Cruz is promoted by Universal Promotions, proudly representing Mexico with relentless spirit and explosive action inside the ring.

“I’m very happy and excited for this great opportunity to once again face the great Puerto Rican champion, Amanda Serrano,” said Erika Cruz. “I’m grateful to my promoter, Universal Promotions, and to MVP for making this rematch a reality. This is the most exciting rivalry in world boxing. Mexico versus Puerto Rico means a guaranteed war. If our first fight was a colossal battle, you can’t miss what will happen on Saturday, January 3. Viva Mexico!”

“Amanda Serrano is a once-in-a-generation trailblazer who continues to redefine what’s possible in boxing,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of MVP. “From becoming Puerto Rico’s first-ever undisputed champion, male or female, in her first meeting with Erika Cruz, to becoming a global icon and breaking women’s boxing viewership records at Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, to headlining her historic trilogy against Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden and leading a record-setting all-women’s card, Amanda has continually pushed the sport forward. We’re honored to support her return to her natural weight class at 126 lbs, as she fights in front of her home fans in Puerto Rico on Saturday, January 3. Amanda is one of the most influential athletes in the world today and a true symbol of equality in sport, and MVP is proud to stand with her as she makes her second unified world title defense under three-minute rounds, alongside Erika Cruz. This event will celebrate the pride and legacy of both Puerto Rican and women’s boxing, and we look forward to sharing more details on this historic card in the coming weeks.”

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @DAZNBoxing.

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