Amanda Serrano says she needs to ‘prove women can fight 12 rounds’ ahead of historic title defence | Boxing News

For the first time since 2007, two female fighters will meet in the ring for a 12-round title fight.

Undisputed featherweight champion Amanda Serrano will defend her three world titles against mandatory WBO challenger Danila Ramos on October 27 in Orlando, Florida.

The two will fight 12 three-minute rounds instead of the official 10 two-minute rounds, making it the first women’s unified championship bout ever fought under the same rules as the men.

Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News, Serrano – the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion – said: “It’s a lot of pressure on me, but I feel for women’s boxing it’s going to be big.

“I’m super-excited to go out there and showcase women’s boxing at its finest and that women can do anything that we put our minds to.

“That’ll show that we deserve it.”

Permanent change?

Serrano hopes the increase in rounds and length of rounds is not a one-off.

“For me personally, I don’t want to go back to two minutes,” she said.

“It makes no sense to go backwards so hopefully other women are on board, they love the idea, they’ve been asking for it for many years now, and hopefully this is the first step.”

The number of rounds and the length of rounds for championship fights have been issues in women’s boxing for years.

Issues which have divided medical professionals, promoters and the boxers themselves.

In 2020, a study published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that “female athletes appear to sustain more severe concussions than male athletes, due in part to a lower biomechanical threshold tolerance for head impacts”. However, a case study examining 23 athletes later in 2021 found no such link.

A permanent change could increase popularity in women’s boxing. Reduced time is a known contributing factor to relatively fewer stoppage and knockout victories, which are a celebrated part of the sport and often used for publicity.

“This fight is hard for me because I honestly want to showcase that I’m capable of going the 12, three-minute rounds. But then again, that’s an extra minute so it might not go 12 rounds,” said Serrano.

The Jake Paul impact

This upcoming fight has been organised by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), which is run by YouTube-star-turned-boxer Jake Paul and his manager Nakisa Bidarian.

Serrano – who signed with MVP back in 2021 – praised Paul and his team for changing her career “tremendously”, as well as making a positive change in the sport of boxing.

“They shone a spotlight on me. I’ve been able to make lots of money obviously in the ring, as well as outside the ring – had many endorsements, sponsorships,” said Serrano.

“Because of them, there’s been a lot more viewership a lot more people wanting to see women’s boxing.

“There was a time when boxing was getting a little boring, it wasn’t fun anymore, and he [Jake Paul] came in and spiced it up.

“Some people want to see him win, some people want to see him lose – he has those controversies. He’s just making boxing altogether a little more interesting and I guess that’s what we need.”

‘This is a fight for women everywhere’

Other than running on the treadmill for a little longer, preparations ahead of the fight have not changed for Serrano, despite the increase in rounds.

“Everything’s been the same,” she said.

“Women have expressed for so many years that we’re doing it in the gym, we’re sparring three minutes, we’re training 12 rounds, whatever we have to do, we’re doing it in the gym.

“I hope it changes people’s minds, people’s view of women’s boxing. This is a fight for women everywhere to be treated the same as their male counterparts.

“It’s going to be just a great night, not just for me, but for women’s boxing.”