AMANDA SERRANO SET TO MAKE HISTORY ONCE AGAIN IN A GROUNDBREAKING WOMEN’S UNIFIED TITLE BOUT AGAINST DANILA RAMOS, WITH 12 THREE-MINUTE ROUNDS, TO BE BROADCAST LIVE ON DAZN ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27th
Orlando, Florida – September 6, 2023 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) proudly takes another historic stride towards achieving gender equality in boxing by announcing the first-ever Women’s Unified Championship bout following the same format as Men’s Championship fights. Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, the seven-division boxing world champion and undisputed featherweight champion (45-2-1, 30 KOs), is set to defend her WBO, WBA, and IBF World Featherweight Championship Titles against the mandatory challenger, Danila “A Guerreira” Ramos (12-2, 1 KO), on Friday, October 27th. The bout will take place at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, and will be broadcast globally on DAZN.
This historic fight marks a significant turning point in women’s boxing as Serrano vs. Ramos will be contested over 12 three-minute rounds, mirroring the format of men’s championship fights. Up to now, women’s championship bouts, per the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, have been held as 10-round matches with 2-minute rounds.
The action-packed evening will also feature MVP’s third installment of the Most Valuable Prospects series, presented by Celsius Essential Energy Drinks, headlined by Antonio Vargas (16-1, 9 KOs) as he defends his WBA Continental Americas bantamweight title in a 10-round bout.
Tickets for the event will go on sale Wednesday, September 13th at www.ticketmaster.com.
Serrano vs. Ramos aims to set a new standard for women’s boxing, a feat not seen since Layla McCarter vs. Melissa Hernandez in 2007. This marks a remarkable 15-year gap since the sport witnessed a women’s fight with the same duration as men’s championship bouts. With the world’s eyes on them, Serrano and Ramos are poised to inspire a new generation of female boxers, demonstrating that they possess the same capabilities as their male counterparts and deserve to compete at the highest level for a unified world championship title.
Amanda Serrano, the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion, commenced her WBO featherweight title reign by defeating Heather Hardy in a brutal 10-round battle in 2019, clinching the WBO belt. She has since defended her WBO belt five times. Her most recent victory was a decisive 10-round unanimous decision over Heather Hardy, solidifying her status as the undisputed featherweight world champion. Serrano’s memorable clash with WBA featherweight champion Erika Cruz in February further solidified her standing as the undisputed featherweight champion. Prior to that, her win over Sarah Mahfoud in Manchester, England, added the IBF title to her collection, joining the WBO, WBC, and IBO featherweight belts. Serrano’s legendary showdown against Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden in 2022 earned recognition as Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year, and it was also nominated for Event of the Year by Sports Business Journal.
Beyond her prowess in the ring, Serrano is a passionate advocate for gender equality in women’s boxing. Her headline bout against Katie Taylor in 2022 shattered barriers in women’s boxing, particularly regarding equal pay, marking the first combat sports event headlined by two women at Madison Square Garden. Serrano continues to make history as she faces Ramos, championing the cause of gender equality in boxing and promoting the adoption of 12 three-minute rounds as the standard, irrespective of gender.
“Danila Ramos may be my WBO mandatory challenger, but when we step in the ring, she will understand exactly why I am the undisputed featherweight champion,” said Amanda Serrano. “But this fight is about more than some belts. We have faced a long and hard battle, united as women, to achieve the same pay, respect, and recognition in boxing. Together, on Friday, October 27th, we will make history and prove to the world once again, how incredible women’s boxing is and that we are just as tough, dynamic, and capable as any man in the ring, if not more so. This is a fight for women everywhere to be treated the same as their male counterparts.”
Ramos, the seasoned fighter hailing from Buenos Aires by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil, was named the WBO mandatory challenger for Serrano’s featherweight world title on August 28th. On August 18th, Ramos secured the WBO Interim World Featherweight Championship with a split decision victory over Brenda Karen Carbajal in Buenos Aires, who had held the belt since May 13th, 2022. Ramos shares the same passion as Serrano for equalizing the rules of elite boxing between men and women.
“Fighting Amanda Serrano for 12 three-minute rounds for a Unified Championship is set to break the barriers that we women have been looking to do for many years,” said Danila Ramos. “We will go down in history, and in the books, it will be a fight of two women warriors! I am preparing like never before for this fight and will proudly represent Brazil as we battle in Orlando, Florida, and I look to bring all the belts home.”
“MVP has been focused on disrupting and transforming boxing since our inception two years ago, and Amanda Serrano has been a key pillar of those efforts. She is not one of the greatest female boxers ever, she is one of the greatest boxers ever, period,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “On Friday, October 27th, Amanda will once again demonstrate that she is a true ambassador of the sport and an advocate for all female athletes. Her dedication to transforming this sport into the best it can be is nothing short of admirable, and she does it all with class outside the ring and supreme intensity inside the ring. We also recognize Danila Ramos for her determination to show the world that women are equal. Additionally, it’s important that we thank the Florida Athletic Commission for approving this fight and being a part of this historic event.”
“Amanda Serrano is a true trailblazer and innovator,” said Joe Markowski, CEO DAZN North America. “Since DAZN started working with Amanda, she has pushed for three-minute rounds, and so we are proud to be involved in this historic night for the sport on October 27th. Watch it live around the world on DAZN.”
Serrano vs. Ramos will be preceded by MVP’s third installment of its Most Valuable Prospects series, presented by Celsius Essential Energy Drinks. The main card of Most Valuable Prospects III will feature three exciting matchups, including the return of the young Puerto Rican sensation Krystal Rosado, Amanda Serrano’s first official signed fighter, who made her pro-debut on Most Valuable Prospects II with an impressive TKO victory in the second round, demonstrating her superstar potential. The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and promoted by MVP, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed by DAZN. The third event in the series continues the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2023 and will be hosted by Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. DAZN will air the series globally across its platforms as a part of its subscription package, which will include Serrano vs. Ramos, the entire main card lineup, and prelims. CELSIUS Essential Energy Drinks, maker of the lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of the Most Valuable Prospects series.
