Amanda Serrano next fight: Former champ to return in Puerto Rico against Erika Cruz in rematch

Amanda Serrano is set to return to the featherweight division. The former seven-division champion who has had her biggest successes at featherweight is going back to the division on Jan. 3 in Puerto Rico for a rematch with Erika Cruz, Most Valuable Promotions announced on Tuesday.

The fight is a rematch of a fantastic 2023 battle between the two women, which Serrano won by unanimous decision. That night, Serrano and Cruz combined to throw 1,917 punches over 10, two-minute rounds. While the rematch will still be 10 rounds, those rounds will now be three minutes, allowing for even more action than the first meeting.

“Every time I step into the ring, I fight for all women, for equality and for Puerto Rico,” Amanda Serrano said via MVP’s press release. “Getting to fight three-minute rounds in a unified world title defense in front of my people will be one of the proudest moments of my career. When I got injured last March, I promised I’d come back to fight in Puerto Rico, and now the moment is finally here. 

“I want to thank Erika Cruz for her choice to face me over [10, three-minute rounds] and for joining me in making this statement for equality in women’s boxing. Together, we are showing all the young girls out there that they can do anything they put their mind to, and that women’s boxers deserve the same opportunities as men. Anyone who saw our first fight knows that this will be an all-out war, and we are ready to make history again.”

The fight will be Serrano’s first since losing to Katie Taylor in their trilogy fight this past July. That fight was an admitted disappointment after two fantastic wars between Serrano and Taylor. While Serrano had a case for winning the first two fights, she attempted a less aggressive approach in the third fight, and Taylor was able to take a majority decision to win the rivalry 3-0.

Serrano’s last attempt to fight in Puerto Rico came in December 2023, when she was set to headline a card that also featured Jake Paul. Moments before her planned fight with Nina Meinke, it was announced that Serrano had to pull out of the bout after suffering an injury after chemicals from a hair treatment ran into her eyes.

Since the first fight with Serrano, Cruz has won three fights with one split draw. Along the way, she won the WBA junior featherweight title with a majority decision victory over Mayerlin Rivas.