Amanda Serrano vs Heather Hardy tips: The Real Deal can unleash serious punishment in Hardy rematch
- Seb Sternik
- 3 August 2023
Planet Sport looks ahead to Amanda Serrano's latest title defence as the Puerto Rican takes on Heather Hardy on the undercard of Jake Paul's bout with Nate Diaz.
Fresh from confirming her MMA return with the PFL, Amanda Serrano has one more world title defence to oversee in the boxing ring.
The Puerto Rican squares off against Heather Hardy in a rematch from their 2019 showdown at the Madison Square Garden Theatre.
On that occasion, Serrano powered to a comfortable unanimous decision win and even came close to knocking her opponent out in the opening round.
Hardy shook off her slow start, but it was Serrano who dominated proceedings before being handed the 98-92 and 98-91 (twice) decision.
While Serrano has been taking on all comers, Hardy has not been particularly active in recent years.
The 41-year-old competed just once since 2019, losing a unanimous decision to Canada's Jessica Camara.
Serrano, on the other hand, fought eight times since the first meeting with Hardy - winning seven of them.
The only woman to beat the Puerto Rican was Katie Taylor who picked up a split decision victory back in 2022.
The 34-year-old bounced back from her loss in style as she retained her featherweight world titles against Sarah Mahfoud and Erika Cruz.
Serrano was able to hurt Hardy on numerous occasions during their first bout and there's little to suggest that a different outcome is on the cards this time around.
Even if Hardy was able to learn lessons from the first fight, the American is past her best at 41 years old.
Serrano, on the other hand, seems to be getting better and better as she continues to dominate the woman's boxing scene.
Expect the featherweight champion to pile on the pressure and finish the bout before the final bell.
While two-minute rounds fly, Serrano has enough quality to make sure this fight doesn't go the distance.
