Female boxer breaks down in tears after taking 278 punches in brutal defeat

Dec 28, 2023

Amanda Serrano defended her undisputed featherweight titles with a shutout decision against Heather Hardy in their rematch and 'The Heat' broke down in tears after the fight

Heather Hardy broke down in tears after taking a huge amount of punishment in her one-sided defeat to Amanda Serrano.

Serrano retained her undisputed featherweight titles against Hardy on the undercard of Jake Paul and Nate Diaz's fight at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Saturday night. The fight marked the second time the women had met in the ring as Serrano also won a unanimous decision against Hardy when they fought in September 2019.

Hardy won a lot of fans on the night as she refused to quit despite being decisively beaten, with only one judge scoring a round in her favour across the 10-round fight. The 41-year-old was overcome with emotion in her post-fight interview as she thanked her old sparring partner Serrano for the opportunity to make a six-figure payday.

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"When I turned pro she was already a world champion and was the girl that everybody in Brooklyn knew. I got very lucky when I was able to come and spar with her, show her that I'm tough and want to get better. To be able to have her grab my hand say 'Come on Heather, let me help you because I know what you went through' That means everything," Hardy said.

"I gave everything I had today, I can't even... I gave everything for three months, I have no excuses that was everything." Serrano then took the mic as her good friend broke down in tears as she said: "It shows, you see this is why we need to come together as female boxers and work together. Don't degrade each other, let's work together and make this beautiful sport of women's boxing grow together."

Serrano has now put together three consecutive wins since her loss to Katie Taylor last April. A rematch between the pair was expected to take place in May but Serrano was forced out of the fight due to injury and Taylor went on to lose to Chantelle Cameron. Taylor will look to avenge the loss when she faces Cameron again on November 25.

A trilogy fight between Serrano and Hardy could be on the cards after Serrano recently signed with MMA promotion PFL. The undisputed featherweight queen was asked about a potential MMA meeting with Hardy after her win, to which she replied: "I mean who knows? She's as tough as they come and she would probably want a shot there too."

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