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UNIFICATION JOY – Next Opponent CONFIRMED for Katie Taylor


Katie Taylor‘s hopes of becoming the undisputed lightweight champion have been boosted massively and the Wicklow woman looks to be just two fights away from holding all four belts.

This evening it has been confirmed that terms have been agreed and contracts have been signed for Taylor to put her WBA and IBF belts on the line in a unification with WBO champion Rose Volante in Philadelphia in March.

The Brazilian beltholder had previously proved tough to pin down and it had looked as though that she may never be tempted into the ring with Taylor [12(5)-0].

The Eddie Hearn-promoted, Brian Peters-managed fighter had hoped to face Volante last month in New York but negotiations would break down late on. Thankfully, WBC super featherweight champion Eva Wahlstrom would step in and Taylor would put on a career-best performance at the Madison Square Garden Arena.

Afterwards Team Taylor re-entered negotiations with both Volante and WBC beltholder Delfine Persoon but were driven to frustration as both prospective unification opponents pushed for big sums of money.

Volante was given a ’24-hour’ deadline to accept a take-it-or-leave it offer last month from Brian Peters but the Brazilians would call this bluff and hold out further and have today come to agreeable terms.

Persoon was foisted with a mandatory for March, ruling her out as Taylor’s next opponent, but her team have indicated that they will be willing to face the Bray boxer during the summer in New York – a fight which will now likely be for ‘all the marbles’.

36-year-old Volante [14(8)-0] won the pink belt at the end of 2017, upsetting Argentine Brenda Carabajal via majority decision before defending it twice with stoppages over Panamania Lourdes Borbua and Colombian Yolis Franco.

A date and venue has yet to be officially announced by Matchroom for the DAZN and Sky Sports-aired card but the bill has been essentially confirmed for Saturday March 16th at the Liacouras Centre in Philly.

IBF super featherweight champion and native of the city Tevin Farmer is expected to headline and looks set to defend his title versus Dubliner Jono Carroll. There is also a spot on the undercard for Mullingar’s John Joe Nevin, while Philly’s Gabe Rosado is also expected to feature.

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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