Amanda Serrano isn’t done adding titles to her record-setting collection.
The seven-division and reigning featherweight titlist has settled in at what she views as her optimal weight, as evidenced in her latest performance. Last month, Serrano returned to her birthplace of Puerto Rico, where she scored a one-sided 9th round knockout of Argentina’s Daniela Bermudez in their matchup of pound-for-pound entrants in Old San Juan.
Brooklyn’s Serrano—who was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico—registered the first defense of her WBC/WBO featherweight belts while acquiring the vacant IBO strap in the process. There remains more work to be done for the 32-year old southpaw who is staying put at 126 pounds while pursuing her next two targets.
“I want to become undisputed featherweight champion,” Serrano stated. “I want to be the first undisputed champion to come from Puerto Rico.”
In order to do that, Serrano (40-1-1, 30KOs) will have to face WBA titlist Erika Cruz (13-1, 3 KOs) and unbeaten IBF beltholder Sarah Mahfoud (10-0, 3KOs).
Last month’s bout was originally intended to come versus Jelena Mrdjenovich (41-10-2, 19KOs), who was the WBC/WBA featherweight titlist at the time of her negotiated clash with Serrano as the WBC interim titlist and WBO champ.
Plans for a four-belt title fight (WBA/WBC/WBO/vacant IBO) were thwarted when it was decided that Edmonton’s Mrdjenovich was unable to honor the proposed fight date due to a reported personal conflict, becoming the WBC “Champion in Recess” in the process.
On Thursday night, the 38-year old lost her WBA title to Cruz, who picked up a seven round technical unanimous decision at the United States Military Academy in West Point.
Also waiting in the wings is Denmark’s Mahfoud, the reigning IBF champ who hasn’t fought since winning the belt last February back home in Copenhagen.
Both titles were on Serrano’s radar heading into 2021. It is even more so the case after dominating Bermudez (29-4-3, 10KOs), the reigning IBF junior featherweight titlist who hadn’t lost since 2014 and was in pursuit of her fourth divisional title. The win marked Serrano’s first defense of her unified WBC/WBO title, having reclaimed the WBO belt in a dominant 10-round win over unbeaten Heather Hardy in Sept. 2019.
The intention for her next few fights is to turn current champions into former ones.
“Nothing against any champ; I want those belts,” insists Serrano, who has won titles in more weight divisions than any female boxer in history. “If they want these belts, they have to come through me.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox