Amanda Serrano retained her WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine featherweight titles with a majority decision over Lucrecia Anabella Manzur on Friday night at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California, reaching 50 professional wins in the main event of Most Valuable Promotions’ card streamed live on TikTok.
Two judges scored the fight 116-112 for Serrano (50-4-1, 32 KOs). The third had it even at 114-114. According to Bleacher Report, Krysti Rosario and Fernando Villarreal turned in the 116-112 cards while Martha Tremblay scored it a draw.
Serrano entered the night needing a stoppage to break the all-time women’s knockout record of 32 she shares with Christy Martin, a chase Boxing Insider detailed in its preview of the fight. Manzur (14-5, 7 KOs) took her the full 12 rounds, and the record stays shared.
The Argentine made Serrano work for far more than the milestone. Manzur pressed forward behind her jab from the opening round and outworked the champion in stretches of the first half, forcing Serrano to fight off the back foot and pick counters. Serrano took control down the stretch as Manzur faded, sweeping the late rounds on the way to the decision. It was Manzur’s first fight outside Argentina, and it ended her five-fight winning streak.
“Thank God I’m almost out of the game,” Serrano said in the ring afterward, as reported by Uncrowned. The 37-year-old also revealed she hurt her hand during the bout.
Serrano addressed the record chase directly, per Sky Sports. “We still got that 33rd knockout, I’ve got one more fight. If I don’t get it, I’m glad that I tied with Christy Martin,” she said.
Martin, watching from ringside, told Sky Sports before the fight: “I’m always in her corner. No matter what, I’m always in her corner.”
Manzur was gracious in defeat, speaking through a translator. “Tonight was a dream come true,” she said, telling Serrano: “Thanks to you, you really helped put female boxing on a pedestal.”
The main event was the first unified women’s world championship fight contested over 12 two-minute rounds, and the card was the first championship boxing event streamed live on TikTok, a partnership Boxing Insider covered when the fight was announced in July. Serrano tied Martin’s knockout record in May with a two-round stoppage of Cheyenne Hanson in El Paso, a run Boxing Insider traced ahead of that fight.
In the co-featured bouts, 2024 U.S. Olympian Jahmal Harvey (4-0, 3 KOs) delivered the knockout of the night, dropping Hammet Keb (7-3-1, 6 KOs) with a right hand at the end of a combination for a stoppage at 2:48 of the second round of their lightweight bout.
Melissa Mortensen (10-0, 5 KOs) won the vacant WBA super bantamweight title with a split decision over Mayelli Flores (13-3-1, 4 KOs). Mortensen climbed off the canvas after a second-round knockdown to take two cards at 95-94, with the third going 95-94 to Flores. The Temecula crowd booed the verdict.
At welterweight, Avious Griffin stopped former lightweight title challenger Jackson Marinez, whose corner retired him after the fifth round following two knockdowns. Cruiserweight Keno Marley knocked out Braylan Brooks at 1:46 of the third round, and heavyweight Nelvie Tiafack, the 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, stopped previously unbeaten Salvador Zavala at 55 seconds of round three.
Cinderella Linnear edged Jully “Poca” Oliveira by split decision, 39-37 twice against 39-37, over four rounds at junior welterweight. Brook Sibrian outpointed Lupita Medina by unanimous decision, 77-75 and 78-74 twice, over eight rounds at minimumweight. Roxy Verduzco took a split decision over previously undefeated Miguelina Hernandez, 77-75 and 78-74 against 78-74, in an eight-round featherweight bout.
On the prelims, Jocelyn Camarillo shut down Ashley Felix by unanimous decision over six rounds, 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56. Paolo Barredo swept Jorge Garcia by unanimous decision, 60-54 twice and 59-55, over six rounds. Albina Moldazhanova opened the night with a first-round knockout of Sheila Liesegang at 1:21.