Katie Taylor has been branded 'dirty following her controversial win over Amanda Serrano last night.
The Bray native and the Puerto Rican faced off for the second time, with Taylor securing victory via unanimous decision (95-94) at the AT&T Stadium in Texas.
Serrano dominated the initial rounds, stunning Taylor with powerful left hands, but a clash of heads in the sixth round worsened a cut on Serrano's eye. Taylor was penalised for the headbutt and had a point deducted but managed to hold on for the win, retaining the undisputed super lightweight title.
The result has sparked a firestorm online, with Serrano and others accusing Taylor of using dirty tactics.
“Listen, I chose to fight. I went up three divisions. I lost in two and dared to be great tonight. I am the featherweight champion of the world. I want to be great. I only fight the best. It is what it is. I'm a featherweight," said Serrano after the fight via the Mirror
"Every time you get a cut, it hurts. You get blood in your eye. She kept headbutting me, but we knew that from the very beginning, the first fight. It's not only my fight; she did it with Chantelle Cameron. Listen, I am Puerto Rican. No matter how many cuts, I will fight to the very end.
Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano react to the decision. #TaylorSerrano #PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/xV546GSsVM
— Netflix (@netflix) November 16, 2024
"I think 100 percent [she fights dirty] because she does it [uses her head] in every fight. My first cut was with Katie Taylor. She did it with Chantelle Cameron. I've seen other fights where she uses her head, dirty. It is what it is."
Taylor refuted the claims and said she wasn’t fighting dirty, adding that she was delighted to put on a show for women’s boxing.
"I didn’t agree with the point deduction. I certainly wasn’t fighting dirty. Sometimes it gets dirty in there, and you have to prepare for those moments. This is an amazing moment for women’s boxing; we put on a show for everybody."
There is speculation that Taylor may retire at 38, but the Bray native has hinted that a third fight between the pair is possible.
“Thank God I won this fight. Congratulations to Amanda; she’s a fantastic fighter. I think we agreed to 12 three-minute rounds in our next fight—the trilogy is on.”
Time will tell if this rematch becomes a reality.
