Amanda Serrano’s rematch with Katie Taylor was postponed to November due to health issues with Mike Tyson, leading Serrano and Jake Paul to seek new opponents for a July 20 fight, with Serrano facing Stevie Morgan and Paul matched against Mike Perry.
When Amanda Serrano heard her rematch against Katie Taylor was postponed until November, her first thought was still fighting on July 20. She wasn’t about to sit idle.
The highly anticipated rematch was set as the co-main event for Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. But Tyson’s health complications led to the entire card being scrapped and rescheduled for Nov. 13.
Despite the buzz around her rematch with Taylor, Serrano wanted a new opponent for July 20. She couldn’t wait that long.
“My team with Nakisa Bidarian, we voiced that we needed a fight,” Serrano told MMA Fighting. “They pushed it back to Nov. 13, and that’s over a year since I fought.”
“My last fight was Oct. 27,” she continued. “I said we need to fight somewhere — MMA, boxing, whatever.”
Bidarian got right to work securing her a new opponent and building a card around her headlining.
Interestingly, Jake Paul didn’t want to miss out either. He requested to stay on the July 20 date too.
“[Bidarian] was working on a fight just for me,” Serrano said. “Jake was like, ‘I need to fight too!’ So they put us together again.”
She loves fighting on the co-main event with Paul because he attracts diverse fans. “I get to steal one or two of his fans,” she joked.
Taking another fight before an already scheduled bout is risky business. Just ask Deontay Wilder, who lost his future showdown with Anthony Joshua after an upset by Joseph Parker.
Serrano knows she’s taking a similar risk against Stevie Morgan, who boasts a 14-1 record with 13 knockouts.
“I wanted to feel comfortable at 140 pounds,” Serrano explained. “Going up another division is risky.”
Fighting Katie Taylor at 135 was one thing; now she’s moving up again at Taylor’s request. But she wanted to test herself against someone bigger before their November clash.
“Stevie Morgan is good; she’s tall and has lots of knockouts,” Serrano noted. “Different from Katie Taylor but still challenging.”
Paul faces similar stakes if he fights Mike Perry on July 20 instead of waiting for Tyson in November.
“This might be scarier than fighting Mike Tyson,” Serrano mused about Paul’s situation. Perry is younger and has more experience in bare-knuckle boxing.
“To be in this sport or any combat sport, you have to be a little crazy,” she added with a laugh.
But she believes in Paul: “He’s hardworking and amazing both as a person and fighter.”
As for her own November bout against Taylor? It’s not top of mind right now—July 20 comes first—but it’s never far away in her thoughts.
“Even though I didn’t feel power from Katie at 135, Morgan has those knockouts,” Serrano said thoughtfully.
After this fight? Right back into camp by July 26 for another fighter’s match-up before focusing fully on Taylor again.