World title challenger Skye Nicolson 9-0 (1) says she would welcome the opportunity to battle WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine champion Amanda Serrano 46-2-1 (30) over 12 three-minute rounds.
Puerto Rican southpaw Serrano made history in her last bout against Danila Ramos 13-3 (1) in October when she became the first female boxer to compete over the longer distance in a world title fight.
The 35-year-old southpaw won by shutout, but the victory came at a price. The WBC would not sanction the fight, believing that women’s boxing should be limited to 10 two-minute rounds, and stripped her of their title.
Undefeated Australian lefty Nicolson, 28, will now box for the vacant WBC 126-pound title against 34-year-old Dane Sarah Mahfoud 14-1 (3) at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night live on DAZN.
And while her first world title shot means the world to Nicholson, it’s a shot at Serrano that she really covets.
“I can only fight who they put in front of me,” said Nicolson. “Serrano is the dream fight and to have been boxing for undisputed in my tenth fight would have been legendary, but it didn’t happen.
“It is what it is. I’m not looking past Sarah. I’ve got a good opponent in front of me and it’s for the best belt in boxing in my opinion, so I am fully focused on the job in front of me and we’ll see what’s next after that.
“I hope the Serrano fight happens, I am ready and waiting. I want the best; I feel like I am constantly saying it, but it’s true. I wanted the Serrano fight in my eighth and ninth fights, I have Sarah for my tenth fight, so maybe it’s Serrano in my 11th fight, who knows? I want the belts, so I am going to keep pushing for that.
“12 x threes suits my style. I’m a patient fighter, I love the longer rounds so for me it makes sense.
“For women’s boxing, I personally don’t agree with 12 x threes; I think the depth of women’s boxing, 10 x twos has been really good for the growth. It’s kept it exciting, and you’ve seen the women’s fights steal the show time and again and I think that’s down to the two-minute rounds.
“So, for me, I love three-minute rounds, but for women’s boxing, not so much – but if the only way to fight Serrano is over three minutes, sign me up.”
Mahfoud is a sturdy challenger whose lone loss came against Serrano on points two years ago. Nicolson is planning on going one better.
“The Serrano fight for Sarah was 97-93, 97-93 and 99-92,” she said. “That’s not happening, that’s all I will say. The way I am boxing right now, I don’t see the fight going the distance. If it does happen to go the distance, it’s 100-90.”
The Nicolson versus Mahfoud clash will take place on the undercard of the IBF junior welterweight eliminator between Richardson Hitchins 17-0 (7) and Gustavo Lemos 29-0 (19).
