Amanda Serrano will defend her unified featherweight world titles against Argentina’s Lucrecia Manzur on Friday, August 21 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California, in what Most Valuable Promotions is billing as the first championship boxing event streamed live on TikTok. The bout, first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, will put Serrano’s WBA, WBO and Ring belts on the line.
“I’ve dedicated my career to creating opportunities for women’s boxing and bringing our sport to the biggest stages possible, so to headline the first-ever championship boxing event on TikTok is incredibly meaningful,” Serrano said in a statement. “Women’s boxing deserves to be seen by as many people around the world as possible, and this partnership gives us the chance to introduce our sport to a massive global audience in a completely new way.”
The Knockout Record on the Line
Serrano (49-4-1, 32 KOs) enters with a chance to make history. The Puerto Rican champion tied Christy Martin’s all-time women’s knockout record of 32 when she stopped Cheyenne Hanson in the second round on May 30 in El Paso. A stoppage of Manzur would give Serrano sole possession of the record, and a win of any kind would be the 50th of her professional career.
Manzur (14-4, 7 KOs) is the WBO’s No. 2 ranked contender at featherweight. The Argentine will be challenging for world titles against a seven-division champion who was the first Puerto Rican boxer, male or female, to become undisputed champion.
A New Round Format
The bout is set as the first unified women’s world championship contested over 12 two-minute rounds. The format is a departure for Serrano, who has fought several of her recent title defenses over three-minute rounds, including her January win over Reina Tellez in San Juan and the Hanson stoppage in May.
TikTok Joins MVP’s Broadcast Slate
The TikTok stream adds another platform to MVP’s distribution portfolio, which already includes Netflix for its largest events, a multi-year ESPN deal running through 2028 for the MVPW women’s boxing series, and a multi-year Sky Sports agreement covering the UK and Ireland.
“From day one, MVP has challenged the traditional boxing model by creating the biggest moments and opportunities for fighters while finding new ways to bring the sport to fans around the world,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of MVP, in a statement. “Partnering with TikTok to deliver the first-ever championship boxing event on TikTok Live is another example of that vision to grow the audience for boxing and make world championship fights more accessible than ever. This event will also further activate MVP’s loyal fanbase among hard-to-reach Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, demographics that MVP has consistently reached better than anyone else in the sport.”
TikTok has hosted boxing before, but never a world championship fight.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to bringing the world’s most compelling live sports moments to our global community, while giving fans new ways to discover, engage, and interact with the athletes and creators they love,” said Shen Gao, head of Live Operations, Americas at TikTok. “We’re excited to bring the first championship boxing event to TikTok Live alongside MVP, spotlighting Amanda Serrano as she works toward a historic milestone.”
The Undercard
The supporting card features Jahmal Harvey (3-0, 2 KOs) against Hammet Keb (7-2-1, 6 KOs) in a six-round lightweight bout, Jully Poca (1-0) against Cinderella Linnear (1-0) over four rounds at super lightweight, and Roxy Verduzco (7-0, 1 KO) against Miguelina Hernandez (4-0, 3 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight matchup. Also scheduled are Nelvie Tiafack (4-0, 3 KOs) against Salvador Zavala (7-0, 5 KOs) in a six-round heavyweight bout and Jocelyn Camarillo (6-0, 1 KO) against Ashley Felix (7-4, 1 KO) over six rounds at minimumweight.
The Temecula date marks a shift in venue plans for Serrano, who told ESPN after her May bout that she wants her final fight to take place in Puerto Rico, where she lives, or in New York. The 37-year-old has given no indication that the Manzur bout will be her last.
Tickets for the August 21 card are on sale now.
