Amanda Serrano Makes History; Han Beats Holm in Close Call in El Paso

Stephanie Han held off a surging Holly Holm to retain her WBA World Lightweight title, although not without some controversy. It's boxing. Photo: Copper Nell / Most Valuable Promotions
Stephanie Han held off a surging Holly Holm to retain her WBA World Lightweight title, although not without some controversy. It's boxing. Photo: Copper Nell / Most Valuable Promotions
by Gayle Falkenthal, Boxing Editor

What To Know

  • In El Paso on the MVPW03 card, unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano made history with her knockout win over Cheyenne Hanson of Germany, tying the knockout record set by Christy Martin.
  • WBA World Lightweight champion Stephanie Han defended her title in a controversial decision win against combat sports legend Holly Holm of Albuquerque.
  • Unified middleweight champion Desley Robinson of Australia scored the Performance of the Night in her win over Mary Spencer.

WBA World Lightweight champion Stephanie Han of El Paso (13-0, 3 KOs) was favored to defend her title in the rematch against one of the most accomplished two-sport athletes in combat sports history, Holly Holm of Albuquerque (34-4-3, 9 KOs).

Han held back a stiff challenge against a surging Holm to get the decision win in a far more competitive fight in the rematch. Scores were 96-94 twice for Han, and 95-95 even for the majority decision.

“She was better this time,” admitted Han, who said she felt she landed the cleaner, harder shots. “It was a competitive fight, and I’m glad I got the win.”

Holm admitted she got off to a slow start in the first fight. She came out quickly on Saturday, and the fight was all-action for the next ten rounds with three-minute rounds.

Han won the early rounds, buzzing Holm in round two. But Holm used every bit of her hard-won experience, circling to the right and eventually finding the right distance, landing hard left hands on Han successfully. Through the first four rounds, the women threw and landed nearly the same number of punches. The rounds were close but being edged by the champion.

Holm stepped up the pace and began outworking and outlanding Han, forcing her to the right in position to be hit. The sellout crowd in El Paso kept up a loud roar, cheering on their champion.

Momentum Shift In Second Half

With every landed punch, Holm generated positive energy, bouncing in and visibly taking over with sharp movement, accuracy, and power shots. Han wasn’t able to get her head offline and out of the way. The momentum shifted. At the end of the seventh round, Holm thrust her hand into the air.

Holm took the crowd out of the fight as they grew quiet and concerned about Han pulling out the win. The action continued down the stretch, with Holm showing strong ring generalship and appearing to have done enough to win.

But it was Han who had her hand raised, as a disappointed Holm saw her moment slip through her hands.

“I know that it was a close fight, but I felt that I did enough to win. I want to give a thank you, special thank you to Holly Holm. It’s been an honor sharing the ring with you,” said Han.

Holm felt the same way. “There’s always things, even in a win, that I want to do better, always. I mean, we want perfection, but I really feel I won the fight.” Holm added she intends no disrespect to Han personally. “It’s nothing to do with that. I just feel that that fight was mine.”

Holly Holm Not Backing Down

At the post-fight presser, Holm could not hold back over the disappointment.

“You leave a piece of yourself in there every time, and then it’s just up to (the judges) to take it away from you if they want. And that’s what’s frustrating, because every fight, no matter how you perform in this fight, dictates what doors open for you.

“You pour your heart and soul into it, and then what’s next? What are my options? When you have a win, more options. When you have a loss, not as many, and that’s what’s frustrating. And it’s easy for them to go home, sleep at night,” said Holm.

Holm clarified that she intends to continue competing, whether in boxing or even a possible return to MMA bouts.

Han Gives Holm Her Flowers

Following Holm, Han reflected on the enthusiasm of the El Paso fans and the electric atmosphere for a card dominated by women champions.

“I feel like Holly is a competitor; she’s a champion for a reason, and I’m proud of my performance, and I did enough to win. And I’m so glad that this was in El Paso. It was an amazing night of boxing,” said Han.

Han said her punch output did drop in the second half of the fight as Holm adjusted and circled right to cut her off and catch her. “She was better this time, I would admit, than last fight. I think what I did was good, good enough. I thought it was a competitive fight, and I’m glad I got the win.”

The Katie Taylor Sweepstakes

Where both women agree is what they want next, for similar reasons. Han and Holm both join the long line of opponents who would like to be the final opponent for Katie Taylor. Her dream to stage her last fight at home in Belfast’s Croke Park seems to be coming together in September, and everyone anywhere near Taylor’s weight division wants the honor of joining her.

But unified WBC/WBO World Lightweight and Ring Magazine champion Caroline Dubois wants her shot at adding Han’s title to her collection. Both are MVP fighters. Dubois was ringside in El Paso and crashed the post-fight presser to make her case.

Amanda Serrano Ties Knockout Record

Amanda Serrano made boxing history, tying the all-time women's knockout record with her win over Cheyenne Hanson. Photo: Cooper Nell / Most Valuable Promotions
Amanda Serrano made boxing history, tying the all-time women’s knockout record with her win over Cheyenne Hanson. Photo: Cooper Nell / Most Valuable Promotions

There was no controversy, only celebration after the co-main event as five-division world champion and current unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano of Puerto Rico (49-4-1, 32 KOs) scored a second-round TKO win over Cheyenne “Pepper” Hanson of Germany (17-3, 13 KOs). It put Serrano one step closer to her goal of 50 wins, and tied Christy Martin’s career knockout record of 32.

Serrano got an assist from fighting three-minute rounds, as her stoppage came at 2:25 of round two. Flashing her lucky orange and blue New York Knicks bracelet, Serrano also said Hanson shouldn’t have gotten in her face at the weigh-in, as it drove her to dish out some punishment.

“I came to fight, she came to win, but you know this is my time. With the three minutes, we get to set up our shots,” said Serrano. “I think the three minutes give us more time to have fun in here. That’s what I was doing, I was having fun.”

Thanking her team and her promoters, Serrano said, “This is what we need for the sport to grow. We’re proving day after day, fight after fight, that we can sell out. Fans want to see us, so each and every one of you guys is part of history. Thank you so much to my fans. From the bottom of my heart, I love you. I fight for you guys.”

Serrano is now looking forward to reaching both of her milestones in her next bout, something she insists she will do before she retires.

Jake Paul of MVP called Serrano the greatest Puerto Rican fighter of all time, although he was quick to shout out both Tito Trinidad and Miguel Cotto.

Performance of the Night Goes to Desley Robinson

Desley Robinson of Australia defended her unified middleweight belts with a dominant win over Mary Spencer. Photo: Cooper Neill / Most Valuable Promotions Amanda Serrano
Desley Robinson of Australia defended her unified middleweight belts with a dominant win over Mary Spencer. Photo: Cooper Neill / Most Valuable Promotions

Unified middleweight champion Desley Robinson of Australia (11-3, 4 KOs) had too much speed and power for former world champion Mary Spencer of Ontario, Canada (10-3, 6 KOs), successfully defending her IBF and WBO titles by decision. Scores were 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91.

Robinson was awarded the Performance of the Night and the cash bonus.

Spencer moved up to middleweight at age 41 after losing her super welterweight title to Mikaela Mayer in 2025, hoping to become the oldest women’s unified champion in boxing. But it was not to be on Saturday.

Robinson buzzed Spencer in the first round and again with more force in the fifth round with excellent right hooks to the head. The veteran Spencer knows how to survive those moments. She did her best to try and get to the body of Robinson to slow her down. Robinson was able to evade most of her opponent’s punches, seeing them coming and catching them with her own.

Robinson’s corner urged her to step it up and stop Spencer before the ninth round. Fortunately for Spencer, she landed her best right hook of the night and slowed down Robinson’s attack in her best round. Robinson nearly got her stoppage in the closing seconds of the fight, hurting Spencer just before the bell. Scores were 100-90 twice and 99-91,

Robinson celebrated by downing a shoey from her boxing boot. “It was unreal,” said Robinson of her fight. “We worked our butt off to put it all together. We knew we had a tough fighter on our hands, credit to Mary. Yeah, we got it done.”

Later, Robinson reflected on the enthusiasm of the sold-out El Paso crowd, a world away from the environment she encountered as a young fighter, where women were not permitted to compete in Australia. Asked whether she’d be willing to take on Claressa Shields, Robinson said she’d welcome the opportunity.

Juarez Holds Off Valle

WBC World Junior Flyweight champion Lourdes “Lulu” Juarez (40-4, 5 KOs) brought the heat and defended her title against MVP’s three-division champion Yokasta Valle of Costa Rica (34-4, 10 KOs) in a furious, fan-friendly bout by split decision. Scores were 98-91 and 95-94 for Juarez, and 95-94 for Valle.

At age 39, Valle is still determined to compete and managed to catch up in the second half of the fight after a fast start by Juarez, but Valle took too many shots from the champion.