What To Know
- Two boxers and one promoter made the inaugural TIME100 Sports list released on Tuesday, including Amanda Serrano and Oleksandr Usyk, and Dana White.
- The TIME100 list recognizes 100 of the most influential figures shaping the global sports landscape. Serrano is in the “Titans” category, while Usyk and White are in the “Leaders” category.
- Serrano is a seven-division world champion, chasing all-time records as she works toward her expected retirement at the end of 2026.
Three figures from combat sports made the inaugural TIME100 Sports list released on Tuesday, led by seven-division champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano. Amanda Serrano joins unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and UFC and Zuffa Boxing’s Dana White, representing boxing and mixed martial arts. She is the only woman in combat sports to receive the honor.
Serrano is listed under the “Titans” category, joining Victor Wembanyama, Cristiano Ronaldo, Aaron Judge, Mike Tirico, and Alex Morgan, among others. White and Usyk both appear under the “Leaders” category.
The list recognizes 100 of the most influential figures shaping the global sports landscape. Explore the complete TIME100 Sports list at ti.me/100sports.
Amanda Serrano: Trailblazer and Record Breaker
The recognition follows Serrano’s record-breaking success as one of boxing’s most decorated champions of all time in the ring, combined with her tireless advocacy in the fight for equality and pay equity in women’s boxing.
“Being named to TIME’s inaugural TIME100 Sports list is an incredible honor. Throughout my career, I’ve always wanted to prove that women’s boxing belongs on the biggest stages in sports and that female fighters deserve the same opportunities, visibility, and respect as the men,” said Serrano in a statement reacting to the news.
“This recognition is for every woman and young girl who has fought so far to move this sport forward, for all the women who have been able to get the platforms and paydays they deserve.
“Thank you to Nakisa Bidarian, Jake Paul, MVP, my team, and my fans in Puerto Rico and around the world for their support to both make the impact we have so far, and for the work ahead to continue creating opportunities for the next generation of women’s boxing.”
Most Valuable Promotions Celebrates Serrano’s Recognition
“This recognition from TIME is a testament to the extraordinary impact Amanda Serrano has made on sports and culture. Her accomplishments as a seven-division world champion and the most decorated fighter in women’s boxing history speak for themselves, but what truly separates Amanda is her role as a trailblazer who has transformed what is possible for female athletes,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions.
“Through her relentless pursuit of equality, her willingness to challenge long-standing barriers in the sport, and her ability to captivate audiences on the biggest stages in the world, Amanda has paved the way to elevate women’s boxing to unprecedented heights. She stands among only three combat sports figures on the entire list and is the only woman in combat sports to receive this honor.
“We are proud to call Amanda MVP’s first signee, and there is no one more deserving of a place on TIME’s inaugural TIME100 Sports list than the GOAT of women’s boxing.”
Serrano Most Decorated Fighter in Women’s Boxing
Serrano (49-4-1, 32 KOs) is the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion and the most decorated fighter in women’s boxing history. She is recognized by the Guinness World Records for the most boxing world championships won by a female in different weight classes.
Serrano is currently the unified featherweight champion, holding the WBO, WBA, and Ring Magazine titles. She signed the first-ever lifetime combat sports contract with MVP and will become Chairwoman of MVP’s women’s boxing initiatives, leading the company’s efforts to identify, sign, develop, and market the promotion’s growing roster of female athletes post her in-ring retirement.
But Serrano isn’t quite finished yet. In 2026, she seeks dual records in women’s boxing, one personal and one that will cement her status as one of the greatest of all time.
In May, Serrano faced mandatory challenger Cheyenne Hanson, earning a second-round TKO. With the win, Serrano officially tied the all-time women’s knockout record with 32 career knockouts, set by Hall of Fame fighter Christy Martin. She also scored her 49th win, working toward 50 wins in her career before her anticipated retirement at the end of 2026.
Recent Career Milestones
Serrano’s career is anchored in her history-making trilogy of fights against Ireland’s Katie Taylor. The first bout at Madison Square Garden in April 2022 was the first women’s fight to headline at MSG. The fight itself lived up to the setting at the Sports Illustrated Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year for 2022.
Serrano defeated Sarah Mahfoud and Erika Cruz to become the undisputed featherweight champion and successfully defended her undisputed title in August 2023 against Heather Hardy.
Her next milestone came in October 2023, fighting 12 three-minute rounds in her title fight victory against Danila Ramos. She threw a career-high 1,103 punches in the bout.
In recognition of her achievements inside and outside the ring, Serrano was named the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Female Fighter of the Year for 2023.
Serrano went on to face Katie Taylor in the most anticipated women’s boxing rematch in modern history in the co-main event of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson as part of an MVP card on Netflix in November 2024.
The undisputed super lightweight title fight averaged 74 million live viewers globally and became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in U.S. history, with 47 million AMA in the US. The bout ended in a razor-thin decision victory for Taylor, sparking global debate and skyrocketing Serrano’s social following to over 1.2 million.
Serrano faced Taylor a third time in the main event of the historic all-women’s card at Madison Square Garden, airing worldwide on Netflix.
Serrano made her long-awaited homecoming to Puerto Rico in a unified featherweight title defense of her WBO and WBA featherweight titles in January 2026, defeating challenger Reina Tellez.
While boxing may not get to see Serrano much longer, her athletic ambitions are not over. Serrano says she intends to continue pursuing greatness in mixed martial arts once she achieves her boxing goals, setting new goals in the years ahead.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.