UNIFIED FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD champion and women’s boxing superstar Amanda Serrano will bid to add another world championship belt to her collection when she takes on the IBF champion Sarah Mahfoud at the AO Arena, Manchester on 24 September. The fight will be promoted by Frank Warren for Queensberry Promotions in association with Most Valuable Promotions.
The unification bout is part of a blockbuster night of boxing topped by the huge heavyweight collision between Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker being shown exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office. Joyce vs Parker is promoted by Frank Warren for Queensberry Promotions in association with BOXXER.
Seven-weight world champion Serrano (42-2-1, 30 KOs) is the reigning WBO, WBC and IBO world champion at 126lbs and has her sights set on becoming undisputed champion at the weight. Having won titles in every division between 115 and 140 pounds, Serrano, a Puerto Rican southpaw from Brooklyn, holds the Guinness World Record for most women’s boxing world championships (7) won in different weight classes.
Her narrow split-decision loss to Taylor in a lightweight championship bout at Madison Square Garden was the first women’s fight in history to headline at MSG. Drawing a raucous, sold-out crowd of 19,187, Serrano nearly finished Taylor off with a barrage of punches in the fifth round, before ultimately dropping a split decision.
Mahfoud (11-0, 3 KOs) 32, from Denmark defended her IBF title back in April by defeating Nina Meinkeover 10 rounds in Copenhagen, having previously won the Interim title with victory over Brenda Karen Carabajal in February 2020 and was elevated to full world champion status in July of the same year.
Recognition of Serrano’s talents and accomplishments has been turbo-charged in recent times by her friendship and promotional association with Jake Paul and the pair fought on the same show in August 2021 in Cleveland where she defeated Yamileth Mercado in a fight broadcast on Showtime PPV. The Cleveland card also featured Queensberry fighters Daniel Dubois and Paul’s rival Tommy Fury.
“I am so excited over the prospect of fighting in the UK,” said Amanda Serrano. “It has been on my to-do list for a long time, with the amazing fans who really get behind the sport, as well as the huge growth in women’s boxing.
“To be fighting in the biggest arena on a big heavyweight night will make it an amazing occasion to win a fourth world championship belt at featherweight.”
“I would like to thank Frank Warren and Queensberry, along with Jake Paul and MVP, for making this possible for me and I promise the UK fans will not be disappointed.”
“This is an amazing opportunity for me to fight for four world title belts against one of the biggest stars in the sport of boxing,” added Sarah Mahfoud. “It will be an experience like no other to win three more belts in England and then take them all home to Denmark.
“It will be my first fight outside of Denmark and I cannot think of a better place to fully introduce myself and my talent to the wider world than beating Amanda Serrano in Manchester.
“I would like to send my appreciation to everybody involved for making this happen.”
Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren said on Serrano-Mahfoud landing in Manchester: “I am delighted to welcome a modern boxing icon in Amanda Serrano onto our huge September 24card with four world title belts on the line. The stakes are obviously very high, which fits in nicely with the main event between Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker fighting for the right to take on the winner out of Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.
“I am looking forward to seeing Amanda fight in person once again after being present for her fight in Cleveland and what she has achieved in boxing is quite remarkable. She is bidding to become a four-belt world champion at featherweight against an unbeaten champion in Sarah Mahfoud, which makes it a superb attraction to add to our BT Sport Box Office event at the AO Arena in Manchester.
“We look forward to working with Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions again as Jake has cultivated an incredible following and is drawing them into the sport of boxing. When I was over in Cleveland with Daniel and Tommy you couldn’t fail to be impressed by the enthusiasm and fervour of the audience, who were in their seats and gripped from the start of the show right through to the main event.”
Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, from Most Valuable Promotions, added: “We cannot wait to have Amanda Serrano fight in front of the UK boxing fans on September 24 in Manchester live on BT Sport Box Office. It will be an incredible experience for both Amanda and the fans at the AO Arena.”
“To see her win a fourth world championship belt at featherweight against an unbeaten opponent in Sarah Mahfoud will be very special and to do it on the same card as a huge heavyweight showdown will only add to the occasion and it will be a magnificent showcase for Amanda. Thank you to Frank and George Warren for placing Amanda on the BT Sport Box Office platform in the UK.”
Southpaw Serrano, 33, won her first world title back in 2011 at super featherweight with a second-round stoppage of Kimberly Connor. The Puerto Rican, based in New York, has since competed in 15 further world championship fights sanctioned by the major governing bodies, winning 13.
Her last title challenge, up at lightweight, came at Madison Square Garden in April when she took on Katie Taylor in a fight which, in some quarters, was described as ‘Fight of the Century’. A classic encounter was declared in Taylor’s favour via a split decision on the judge’s scorecards.
SERRANO REAPS TITLE BONUS
BOXING SUPERSTAR AND seven-weight world champion Amanda Serrano admits she was taken by surprise when she received the news that IBF champion Sarah Mahfoud was prepared to accept a unification fight that will take place in Manchester on September 24.
The Puerto Rican southpaw – based in Brooklyn – who holds the WBC, WBO and IBO world featherweight titles was set to oblige a WBO mandatory against Yamileth Mercado in August at Madison Square Garden.
The proposed show was ultimately cancelled, leaving the 33-year-old without a date, resulting in her management team hooking up with Queensberry to place ‘The Real Deal’ on the blockbuster Joe Joyce-Joseph Parker heavyweight card at the AO Arena.
Much to her delight, the undefeated Dane and IBF world champion Mahfoud chose to share the Manchester stage with her for a unification match.
“It is thanks to my team, the fight on August 6 fell off and I said ‘I need a fight, I need a fight’,” said Serrano, recounting events. “They got me on this card and I am super-honoured to be on this card and honoured to have the opportunity to unify in my division.
“They are both tough fights, Mercado and Mahfoud, one was my mandatory with the WBO and one is a champion. Of course, you always want to fight the champions and I have been looking for this fight for a couple of years now, for her and the WBA, the two belts I am missing to become undisputed.
“I couldn’t believe that she took the fight, I was like ‘yes!’. Everything happens for a reason, the timing was great and she decided she wants to fight now, so let’s do it. It is in Manchester, my first time fighting over there and the UK fans are amazing and I just hope they come out and support the fight.”
Serrano admits that she has not intently re-watched her last fight, the epic clash with Katie Taylor that took place in New York back in April and delivered the best possible statement on behalf of women’s boxing.
“I kind of have, I have dibble-dabbled, but I always just see my mistakes, which is a good thing so you can fix it in the next fight.
“It was just a great night, a great event and I didn’t want to ruin it because we put on a hell of a show, both of us. There was blood, sweat, tears in the ring that night and the fans came out and supported us.
“So I just wanted to leave it like that. I just wanted to remember it the way I remember it,” she added, before pointing out that she does not consider the split decision reverse as a blot on her record.
“You know what, I feel like you never lose, you learn and I feel like I never lost that fight. I am coming back to my weight class and I am back to where I feel comfortable at, at 126lbs, where I am strong and where I am champion.
“I am unifying and I feel like I am back in my division right now.”
Tickets for ‘Nowhere to Run’ – the heavyweight clash between Joe Joyce and Joe Parker on 24 September at the AO Arena, Manchester being shown exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office – are priced from £40 and are on sale now exclusively from Ticketmaster.co.uk.
‘Nowhere to Run’ – Joe Joyce (14-0, 13 KOs) v Joseph Parker (30-2, 21) in a heavyweight collision between No.1 and No.2 with the WBO takes place on September 24 at the AO Arena, Manchester. The WBO International and Intercontinental championship belts, along with the WBC Silver title, will be on the line.
Also featuring is the IBO world super featherweight championship fight between the champion, Michael Magnesi (21-0, 13) from Italy and Belfast’s British champion Anthony Cacace (19-1, 7).
Seven-weight world champion and Puerto Rican superstar Amanda Serrano (42-2-1, 30) will unify her WBO, WBC, and IBO featherweight titles with the IBF championship held by the unbeaten Sarah Mahfoud (11-0, 3) from Denmark.
British welterweight champion Ekow Essuman (17-0, 7) will make a third defence of his title and bid for ownership of his Lonsdale belt when he takes on mandatory challenger Samuel Antwi (14-1, 6) and the IBO International middleweight championship will be at stake when Nathan Heaney (15-0, 6) goes in with Jack Flatley (19-2-1, 4).
Raven Chapman (3-0, 2) takes a big step up in class against former IBF world champion Jorgelina Guanini (10-4-2, 1) for the vacant WBC International featherweight championship.
British super middleweight champion Mark Heffron (28-2-1, 22) will fight over eight rounds, with Kirkby super lightweight Callum Thompson (4-0, 1), Liverpool middleweight James Heneghan (7-0), Batley super lightweight Amaar Akbar (3-0) and Thetford cruiserweight Tommy Fletcher (1-0, 1) completing the card.