Katie Taylor booed as she controversially beats Amanda Serrano to retain undisputed world light-welterweight champion status

Katie Taylor retained her undisputed world light-welterweight title on Friday night in a controversial fashion, defeating Amanda Serrano by a points decision that left many in the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in disbelief. The highly anticipated rematch between the two fighters, who first faced off in 2022, was the co-main event ahead of the headline bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.

The fight was a tactical battle, with Puerto Rican fighter Serrano playing the role of aggressor. She was the more active boxer, landing more punches than Taylor, who often relied on counterattacks to respond. Throughout the bout, Taylor’s defensive strategy involved leaning forward and getting close to Serrano, a tactic that led to multiple clashes of heads. In the fourth round, one such clash caused a deep cut above Serrano’s right eye, resulting in blood streaming down her face as the fight progressed.

Despite the injury, Serrano remained relentless, and Taylor’s struggles seemed evident as the fight wore on. Taylor, 38, was penalized with a point deduction in the eighth round for a headbutt, and by the final bell, it seemed that Serrano had done enough to earn her revenge after losing to Taylor in their first encounter at Madison Square Garden in 2022.

However, to the surprise of many, all three judges scored the bout 95-94 in favor of Taylor, granting the Irish champion the win. As the decision was announced, Taylor celebrated in the ring, but the boos from the crowd were hard to ignore. Many fans felt Serrano had done enough to secure the victory, and the controversial decision overshadowed what had otherwise been an intense and thrilling contest.

Following the fight, Taylor addressed the boos and defended her performance. “I don’t care about the negativity,” she told Netflix. “I certainly wasn’t fighting dirty.” She also downplayed the point deduction, calling it part of the “absolute slugfest” they had engaged in. “It was a war,” Taylor said, acknowledging the grueling nature of the bout. “Thank God for another amazing fight.”

Serrano, visibly disappointed with the outcome, made her feelings clear in the post-fight interview. She stated she “100%” believed the headbutts from Taylor were intentional and expressed how much damage the cut had caused her during the fight. “Every time you get a cut, it bothers you. You get blood in your eye, it hurts,” she said, referring to the impact of the injury on her performance. Serrano also noted that headbutts had been a recurring issue in Taylor’s fights, referencing her previous encounter with Chantelle Cameron.

Serrano went on to explain her mentality after the fight, saying, “I’m a Boricua. I’m going to die in this ring no matter what, no matter how many cuts I have on my face.” Despite the loss, she remained proud of her performance and her decision to challenge herself by moving up three weight divisions to fight Taylor. Serrano also expressed her belief that the judges’ decision was influenced by the damage she sustained.

In a post on social media after the fight, Serrano further questioned the outcome, writing: “I landed 107 more punches, she got a point deducted and I lost 95-94 lmfao.” It was clear that the result had left her and many fans frustrated, especially given her dominance in terms of punch output.

The decision was particularly striking given how close the fight seemed, with Serrano’s aggression and Taylor’s countering tactics balancing out the contest. The point deduction, along with the visible cut on Serrano’s face, added further weight to the idea that the Puerto Rican fighter may have been robbed of victory on the scorecards.

Meanwhile, in the main event, Jake Paul triumphed over former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson via unanimous decision. Paul’s victory, which marked his return to the ring following a 2022 loss to Tommy Fury, was also a significant moment in the night’s boxing action.

While Taylor’s controversial win over Serrano may have stolen the spotlight, it was clear that the fight had lived up to the hype. Both women put on a show, but the aftermath left many questioning the integrity of the judges’ scorecards and whether Serrano had done enough to secure the victory. Taylor remains the undisputed champion, but the nature of her win will likely continue to be debated for some time.