Featherweight Skye Nicolson 10-0 (1) produced a dominant performance to claim the vacant WBC strap against Sarah Mahfoud 14-2 (3) by virtual shutout over 10 two-minute rounds at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
The new champion wasted little time in calling out WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine 126-pound champion Amanda ‘The Real Deal’ Serrano 46-2-1 (30) who up until last year held the WBC belt too.
Puerto Rican southpaw Serrano, 35, was stripped of the green belt by the Mexican-based sanctioning body after they refused to allow her to defend their title over 12 three-minute rounds instead of the standard 10 two-minute rounds in women’s boxing.
Australian Nicholson, 28, has previously said she will box over the longer distance if that’s what is required to land a fight against the female superstar, who is ranked the number five boxer in the world pound-for-pound by esteemed publication The Ring.
“I’m ready when she is ready,” said Nicolson in the ring after her victory over Denmark’s Mahfoud. “Obviously I want the belts. It’s nothing personal, Amanda, but I’m ready when you are.”
She added: “I find it funny that she waited till I was her mandatory to decide that what she wanted to do.
“But look, I respect the WBC’s rules, that’s why I’m still boxing for the WBC belt. But if the only way to fight Amanda Serrano is over 12 three-minute rounds – talk to my team, we’ll make it happen.”
Nicolson was clinical against the 34-year-old Mahfoud. Boxing long from the lefthanded stance, Nicolson was able to control the distance and nail Mahfoud with sharp left crosses and body shots.
The timing and accuracy of Nicolson’s offensive arsenal was her most impressive asset. According to CompuBox, she landed almost twice as many power punches as Mahfoud on 65 fewer attempts.
Her dominance was reflected on the judges’ scorecards. Judges Eric Cheek and Patricia Morse Jarman both say the fight 100-90, while judge Steve Weisfeld saw it 99-91, all for Nicolson.
“It means everything,” said Nicolson. “I wasn’t going to be deprived of this moment. I wanted this moment here in the ring.
“I knew [I would win] before I got in the ring.
“She was awkward, she breaks the space very well, so I found myself falling in a little bit when I was trying to attack, but I knew what I had to do to win and that’s what I did.
“My team and I said we just need to double up those attacks a little bit because she was breaking the space, but apart from that, they told me to just keep doing what I was doing and just add a little bit more.”
The Nicolson versus Mahfoud fight took place on the undercard of the IBF junior welterweight title final eliminator between Richardson Hitchins and Gustavo Lemos. The card was broadcast live on DAZN.
