Amanda Serrano retains featherweight titles with unanimous decision victory over Danila Ramos on historic occasion

Amanda Serrano retained her WBO, WBA and IBF featherweight world titles after earning a unanimous decision win over Danila Ramos on what was a historic night for women’s boxing.

Not since 2007 has a women’s title fight been contested over 12 three-minute rounds, which is the rules in men’s championship boxing.

Previously, bouts between female fighters have been sanctioned as 10 two-minute rounds but going the full 36 minutes appeared to make little difference to Serrano, who dominated proceedings in Orlando to improve her record to 46-2-1.

“In the sixth round, I was like, is it really three minutes or did they go back to two minutes?” she told ESPN.

“I felt good. I was in really good shape. I trained really hard for this fight knowing I had to go out there and prove to everybody that women can do whatever they put their minds to.”

She added: “This was a historic night. I hope it's just the beginning, because I know there are a lot of women coming after me. I know the future is bright for us.”

All three judges scored the contest 120-108 in favour of Serrano, who threw more than 1,100 punches over the 36 minutes.

The Puerto Rican was one of the boxers, past and present, who signed a petition earlier this year for women to be given the chance to compete under the same conditions as men.

And Serrano joked afterwards she had more left in the tank after going the full distance.

It was a cagey affair to start with before the reigning featherweight champion picked up the pace in the third and fourth rounds, finding a home for punches in bunches as she searched for the knockout.

Ramos showed all her heart and toughness to resist and make the final bell, surviving a particularly stiff straight-right in the 10th round, but couldn’t match Serrano’s output and accuracy.

Up next for Serrano are potential bouts with Skye Nicolson or Alycia Baumgardner, although the champion insisted they would only be made if her challengers were willing to fight three-minute rounds.

“She's the ‘A side’,” Nakisa Bidarian, Serrano's promoter, said. “She's the decision maker. You want to fight Amanda Serrano, you come to Amanda Serrano's house.”

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