When it comes to breaking barriers, there’s no better deal than Amanda ‘The Real Deal’ Serrano. Fans have yet to forget the 12-round fight she and Danila Ramos fought last year. She went ahead despite WBC’s reservations over the matter. She even paid the price. From an undisputed champion, she became a unified one. So what’s next? Now she is jumping two divisions up to face Stevie Morgan in front of the latter’s home crowd!

The fight on July 20 comes against the backdrop of the canceled fight against Nina Meinke. Later, the rematch with archrival Katie Taylor got rescheduled. Serrano and Morgan fight in the main card event of Jake Paul and Mike Perry‘s clash. It is now taking place at Tampa’s Amalie Arena. Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor will get back on November 15 to settle their arguments for good. But first, the fight with the ‘Sledgehammer’. Why would the Puerto Rican champion meet a relatively unknown boxer at a weight class where she fought six years ago?

Setting the stage: Next chapter for Amanda Serrano

The move seems to have baffled Ariel Helwani as well. The 2023 MMA ‘Journalist of the Year’ award recipient asked Amanda Serrano why she wants a fight at 140 pounds. “Because we want we working out way till the Katie Taylor fight, you know,” said ‘The Real Deal’.

Most fans might be aware. The July 20 rematch with Katie Taylor was planned for the latter’s undisputed light welterweight title. Hence, why not continue in the same weight class. There was no point going back to the comforts of her own featherweight division, it seems.

She is leaving no stone unturned to prepare for the kind of fight Stevie Morgan will bring into the ring next week. “I’m not taking my eye off of Stevie Morgan; she’s a a a great fighter; she’s a big girl um she weighs heavy; she’s tall; she’s 5’8,” she said. So Serrano understands, but still, what could be that X factor that must have prompted her to proceed with taking such a career-defining step?

It is fundamentally about taking risks. She added, “If I don’t, if I didn’t take a fight at at that weight, because now I get to test my my endurance test test the power test the weight in there with with Stevie Morgan.” Amanda Serrano emphasized that the path to greatness goes through perils and sacrifices.

Through her Instagram Story, Serrano revealed that there was no point in her dropping in weight after all the preparation done for the Katie Taylor fight. Hence, the fight with the ‘Sledgehammer’ gives her the best opportunity to test her strength against an attack-minded fighter who has won nearly 93% of her pro-boxing bouts through knockouts.

A leap of faith for ‘The Real Deal’

Many fans found themselves upset. They watched Amanda Serrano break down in the ring following the cancellation of the Nina Meinke title defense on March 2. The champion badly wanted to fight in front of her home crowd. However, the medical team advised her not to proceed with the match on account of the eye injury she had suffered.

A few months later, she took such a big step. It speaks volumes about Amanda Serrano’s heart. stylistically as well, it presents a great viewing experience for the fans. She lost against a technical perfectionist like Katie Taylor on April 30 two years ago. But nevertheless, she proved a point. The match became Sports Illustrated‘s ‘Fight of the Year’. Against Morgan, there’s no pressure and no belt at stake. So she can fight freely. Serrano can tune up her style to match the Florida native’s vicious shots. Will the fight be complex for the Jake Paul-Mike Perry bout?

What’s your take? Do you believe it was a wise decision on Amanda Serrano’s part to stay around at 140 and continue with a fight?