Katie Taylor rejected last-minute demand to change rules of Amanda Serrano fight

Amanda Serrano accused Katie Taylor of backing out of a promise to fight 12 three-minute rounds ahead of their mouthwatering clash.

Taylor is set to defend her light-welterweight titles against Serrano on Friday night at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York. The pair first went head-to-head back in 2022 - with the Bray brawler going on to edge out a split decision victory. Two years on, the two stars fought for a second time on the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson undercard.

Once again, the Irish sensation got her hand raised on points to go 2-0 up in the series. Ahead of the trilogy - while there is mutual respect between both fighters - there have been discussions over rules that have created tension. Serrano has constantly pushed for 12 three-minute rounds, claiming that it will allow both fighters to showcase their full skill set.

When asked if she believes that 12 three-minute rounds should have been agreed, Serrano replied: "I think so, I mean, it’s exciting? We have more time. I’ve always said that having two-minute rounds is like a sprint and three-minute rounds is a marathon.

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"You get to showcase a lot more skills. I think we have so many talented women now that we are missing out." When asked if Netflix had any say in the matter, Paul, her promoter, added: "Oh they wanted three-min rounds too, but… (points at Katie Taylor)." Serrano then sarcastically said: "We don’t call the shots."

Taylor insisted that Serrano was in no position to call the shots given that she lost the first two meetings. The 39-year-old took a brutal dig at her upcoming foe, saying: "I am open to any format, but, I think the 12x3 fights she has fought in were actually very boring fight. They proved that 10x2 is way better. Terrible fights. It’s like me saying to Usain Bolt, 'I can’t beat you in the 100m but let’s do the 400m instead.' It’s ridiculous."

During the pre-fight press conference, Taylor hit out at Serrano, stating: "The challenger shouldn't be dictating the terms, I'm the champion. I'm 2-0. Amanda needs this fight a lot more than I do." She then added: "She's not in a position to dictate. I just want to fight now."

With just days to go until the historic clash, Taylor is thrilled to be topping the bill at another major event. Speaking to RTE, she said: "I feel great. Everything is going to plan, thank God. I feel better than I did before the last fight. From week to week, I am getting sharper and feeling stronger in training camp. I'm excited for fight night. What an amazing opportunity to fight at the Garden again, and on Netflix. When I first laced up a pair of gloves as a nine- or ten-year-old, I don't think anybody would have imagined I would be in this position today. I'm so grateful for this amazing journey! To headline such an impressive all-female card is just remarkable."

The 39-year-old added: "You always must make little adjustments for every fight. It's the person who adjusts the better in these three clashes that wins the fights. It's all about adapting to the challenge, and I think we're on the right track. I out-boxed her the first time and out-fought her the second time, so I feel like I am in a good position for the third fight. Right now, I'm staying laser-focused and doing what I must do every single day in training. I've been giving it my all, and I'm going to be giving my all again on flight night."