WHAT’S NEXT FOR Katie Taylor? The Irish undisputed lightweight world champion doesn’t know herself.
But the opportunities are endless.
A rematch with Delfine Persoon is inevitable with a superfight with UFC star Holly Holm also a real possibility, but Taylor has her eye on a certain opponent.
And it comes as no real surprise.
“The obvious one is Amanda Serrano,” the Bray fighter smiles when she’s asked of a big name throughout the weight classes she aspires to test herself against.
“That’s probably one of the biggest fights out there right now, it’s a fight that everyone has talked about for years. She’s very, very good. She’s obviously a seven-weight world champion. She’s very explosive and a southpaw as well, I think that would be an explosive fight if it did happen.”
“For a fight to happen it’s got to happen on the right platform,” her manager Brian Peters interjects to bring her down to earth, especially considering the complications around that one.
“We want it main event at the Garden, we want it top of an American TV station. These fights do take a bit of time.”
The thing is Serrano was actually meant to be next — or near — but that’s now unlikely because of the contentious dispute between the American and her promoter.
“I actually don’t know who’s next, nothing’s been put in place to be honest,” Taylor concedes.
I’m going back to America next week to start training again. My next fight I think is going to be in October sometime.”
Peters jumps in to shed a bit more light on the situation: “Look, we fought her sister back in October in Boston and after that, Eddie [Hearn, Taylor's promoter] signed up to a three-fight deal and Amanda had one of the three-fight deal.
“She’s committed. Whatever’s happening then between Amanda and Lou DiBella [her promoter], I’m not sure but he certainly signed a contract. Like everything, it will be sorted in due course.
“Again, you need the platform, you need the build-up. She has to get another fight so we have loads of other plans, loads of other journeys and routes we can take so we’re certainly not stuck for options.”
The plan that if not Serrano, Cecilia Braekhus, is also in the air now.
“Well, potentially,” Peters nods. “We gotta see where we go for that. Celia’s gotta have a couple of fights first.”
And then up pops Holm.
“Holly Holm could… I know she got a bad defeat at the weekend there, but there were talks from her lately,” Peters explains after the MMA star was TKO’d by Amanda Nunes at UFC 239.
“I talked before. I know her manager quite well. Look it was a bad defeat at the weekend and it’s not a time.
Look, these are all talk. It takes ages. But when Mayweather and Mr McGregor were first mentioned, everyone laughed and thought it was impossible so you never know what happens.
He added: “Look, there’s any moving up in weight… some weight could be arranged for Katie to fight Jessica McCaskill for all the belts, for another undisputed. That’d be something that would be very special. There’s loads of options out there.
“Don’t forget with all that lovely bling on the table,” he points over to her five glistening belts. “You’ve got to have mandatories. You gotta keep all them boys happy. There’s a lot of sorting out to do and we have to fight some mandatories as well.”
Well, do you have a preference, Katie?
“Nah not really, to be honest. I obviously just want to be involved in big fights, the bigger the better. I want to make history in this sport.”
The dream fight?
“I guess there’s been a lot of talk about Amanda Serrano, the Persoon rematch and Cecilia Braekhus — they’re all huge names and they’re dangerous fights. They’re all history-making fights,” she smiles.
She’s made enough history.
But she’s ready to make a hell of a lot more.
Katie Taylor was at an exclusive Sky VIP event at The Lighthouse Cinema. Sky customers can join Sky VIP for free by downloading the My Sky app where they can enjoy money-can’t-buy experiences and more.
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