Amanda Serrano marked her return to the ring with a decisive victory over Reina Tellez on Saturday, defending her WBO and WBA featherweight titles in front of enthusiastic fans in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The bout, which took place 15 days after Tellez was offered the fight, concluded with a unanimous decision in favor of Serrano, pushing her professional record to 48 wins, four losses, and one draw, with 31 of those victories coming by knockout.
In her post-fight interview, Serrano expressed her ambition to break the record for the most knockouts in women’s boxing, currently held by Christy Martin at 32. She is also determined to reach 50 career wins before retiring. Despite her dominant performance against Tellez, whose record now stands at 13 wins, two draws, and one loss, Serrano was unable to secure a knockout, as Tellez showcased remarkable resilience in her first title bout.
Future Opportunities for Serrano
Looking ahead to 2026, Serrano plans to continue competing at featherweight, where she remains undefeated. “There’s a lot of new girls, new champions at featherweight, so that’s a nice thing to see,” she stated. “Maybe one day we can all get together and just fight each other. I am the unified featherweight champion, and there are other champions out there.”
While no opponent currently matches the profile of Katie Taylor, who defeated Serrano in their trilogy fight in July, several fighters present potential matchups. Serrano has opted not to pursue undisputed status at featherweight after vacating the WBC title due to the organization’s refusal to sanction women’s fights under the same three-minute round rules as men. This decision effectively eliminates a unification fight with WBC titleholder Tiara Brown.
Instead, Serrano could target a unification bout with the IBF champion, Nina Meinke, who holds a record of 19 wins and three losses. Initially scheduled to face Meinke in December 2023, that fight was canceled following a medical ruling by the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission due to an eye injury sustained by Serrano.
Another possible contender is interim WBA titleholder Jennifer Miranda, who recently faced her first career defeat. Miranda challenged then-undisputed junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner in July but fell short. Additionally, Erika Cruz, who was originally set to fight Serrano on Saturday but withdrew due to a doping violation, has publicly called out Serrano. Cruz expressed her belief that Serrano avoided facing her, labeling it as “fear” in a post on social media.
Despite being 37 years old, Serrano demonstrated her enduring talent and excitement within the sport. As she continues to seek new challenges, she only needs two more knockouts to surpass Martin’s record and two additional wins to reach her goal of 50 victories.
Serrano’s journey in boxing has been marked by her commitment to advancing women’s sports, advocating for equal rules and opportunities. With her recent performance and potential matchups on the horizon, she remains a formidable force in the featherweight division.
