Amanda Serrano will defend her undisputed featherweight championship against Heather Hardy in a rematch, serving as the co-main event of Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz.
Amanda Serrano is set to bring her star power to the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz card as she defends her undisputed featherweight championship against rival Heather Hardy on August 5. The 10-round rematch will serve as the co-main event of Paul vs. Diaz, with Serrano currently holding the WBA, WBC, WBO, IBO, and The Ring titles at 126 pounds. The bout was announced on Thursday following an initial report by ESPN.
Serrano recently achieved undisputed status after winning the WBA title in a bloody decision against Erika Cruz this past February. Her victory came after a split decision loss in a highly anticipated bout against Katie Taylor in April 2022, where she narrowly missed capturing Taylor’s lightweight titles. When Serrano and Hardy first fought in September 2019, Hardy held the reigning WBO title, but Serrano defeated her by unanimous decision. Hardy has competed just once since that fight, losing to Jessica Camara in May 2021.
Despite her inactivity, Serrano welcomes a second fight with the New York native. “I am the undisputed featherweight champion today because Heather Hardy agreed to fight me in 2019 for her WBO title,” Serrano said in a press release. “That was the first step in my current run at featherweight. It’s only right that I give her the opportunity to earn it back. I’m excited to once again share the card with Jake and put on an exciting war. This will be the first time I get to fight in Texas, and I promise the fans that they will not be disappointed.”
Serrano and Hardy both briefly dabbled in MMA, with Serrano going 2-0-1 from 2018-2021, and Hardy going 2-2 inside the Bellator cage. If Serrano successfully defeats Hardy again, Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Bidarian has made it clear that the plan is to pursue a rematch with Katie Taylor in Ireland. Paul vs. Diaz is scheduled to take place on August 5 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.