Katie Taylor will finally fulfil her dream of fighting at Croke Park, as the all-time great prepares to face Flora Pili later this year.
On 5 September, Taylor will box the undefeated Pili (12-0) at the iconic stadium in Dublin, in what is expected to be the Irishwoman’s final bout.
Indeed, it could mark the end of a 10-year professional career for Taylor, 39, who turned pro after winning gold at the 2012 Olympics.
Taylor (25-1, 6 KOs) has long dreamt of competing at Croke Park, with her promoter Eddie Hearn campaigning hard for such an occasion – but also highlighting the difficulties in bringing that dream to life.
The pair have succeeded in doing so, however, with Taylor’s Croke Park fight confirmed at a press conference in Dublin on Friday.
"This seems like the perfect way to end it (my career) – by becoming undisputed champion again in our national stadium which has such a special place in Irish hearts," said Taylor.
"I'm so grateful that it's happening and I can't thank the people of this country enough for the support I have received over the years.
"People have travelled all around the world to follow my career and I'm hoping I can repay some of that with a big performance on 5 September."
Remarkably, the fight will mark just her third outing in Ireland as a professional; Taylor’s only pro fights on home soil so far took place in 2023, as she twice boxed Chantelle Cameron.
In their first fight, Cameron outpointed Taylor to hand the Irish star her only pro loss, before Taylor reversed that result in their rematch. The second result crowned Taylor the undisputed super-lightweight champion, as she built on her reign as undisputed lightweight queen.
Since her bouts with Cameron, Taylor has fought twice, outpointing fellow great Amanda Serrano on two occasions. Those victories saw Taylor go 3-0 over Serrano overall.
She is now looking to regain her undisputed status at super-lightweight as she defends her unified belts, while also fighting for the vacant WBC title.
