We’ve seen more and more men cross from MMA into boxing this year. Could 2022 be the year women’s MMA fighters do the same?
MMA fighters taking on boxers is all the rage right now, but we haven’t seen too many female fighters crossing over from cagefighting into the boxing ring. Usually it’s the other way around. Holly Holm was a three weight class women’s boxing champion before coming to the UFC. Amanda Serrano has also tried her hand at MMA. When it comes to combat sports, women’s MMA usually has a higher pay potential.
But that may change down the line as women’s boxing finally gets a bigger push. Jake Paul has Serrano as the co-main on all his cards and is paying her mid six figures for each fight. And Ireland’s Katie Taylor has the potential to become a star as well, especially if a much hyped bout against Serrano comes together in 2022. After that, could we start to see WMMA fighters lured to boxing the same way the men are? If so, Katie is down for it.
Asked on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani about fighting Cris Cyborg or Holly Holm, the undisputed lightweight champion sounded very interested.
“I know there was mention of those fights,” Taylor said. “But I don’t think we ever seriously talked about it. Obviously, their names came up over the last few years and there’s still huge possibilities that those fights can happen. If they’re the fights that people want to see, I’d absolutely love to be involved.”
We doubt UFC president Dana White is eager to lend any more fighters on his roster to box, regardless of their gender. But Cris Cyborg is certainly a possibility as Bellator president Scott Coker has never seen an opportunity for cross promotion that he wasn’t willing to discuss. And while Taylor is managed by Eddie Hearn, her fight with Serrano would most likely end up with Paul’s Most Valuable Promotion company under the Showtime PPV umbrella, the same home as Bellator. So it all links together.
First the legit fight for women’s boxing supremacy between Taylor and Serrano, then a little freakshow action with Cris Cyborg? Sounds like a recipe for increased attention for a criminally under-appreciated segment of combat sports.