TAMPA, Fla. — Amanda Serrano accomplished what she needed to Saturday night inside Amalie Arena, taking care of her last opponent of 2021 to set up much of what she hopes to come next: a potential megafight against Katie Taylor.
In a 100-90, 99-91, 99-90 unanimous decision win over Miriam Gutierrez at lightweight, Serrano sent a clear message she remains one of the best fighters in the world.
Serrano moved up in weight for the fight, hiring a nutritionist for the first time and continually enjoying chocolate milkshakes — and enduring eating carrots, among her least favorite foods — to prep for the fight. She also sparred with fighters who weighed far more than the 135 pounds she was fighting at — 150-and 160-pounders — in an attempt to prepare for Gutierrez.
The prep showed from the opening bell and went throughout the fight. Serrano landed 46 percent of her power punches and 236 total punches to 129 for Gutierrez. Almost every round seemed similar to the first, in which Serrano consistently pummeled Gutierrez’s head and body, putting her in the corner and against the ropes several times and looking like she was going to put Gutierrez on the canvas.
Gutierrez held on. Barely. Serrano landed 37 of 86 punches in the first round, a massive 43 percent, according to Showtime stats, while Gutierrez landed only eight.
The next two rounds showed Serrano’s more clinical side. She had a little slower pacing to the round, but still went at Gutierrez consistently. It started to reach the point where Gutierrez rarely seemed to take a step forward throughout the first half of the fight.
Serrano again got Gutierrez against the ropes for the final minute of the fourth round, continually landing shots. Through four rounds, Serrano outlanded Gutierrez in power punches 83-49. She was more active, more powerful and more accurate.
Through six rounds, Serrano, from Brooklyn, New York, outlanded Gutierrez 119-69 in total.
It was a master-class performance missing just one thing — the knockout. She bloodied Gutierrez’s nose in the seventh. Sensing opportunity, she continually pounded Gutierrez’s face throughout the seventh round, a constant barrage Gutierrez, from Madrid, Spain, seemed fortunate to survive.
Gutierrez seemed to have her best round in the eighth, but even punches that were landing didn’t seem to matter. Serrano would take one punch on her way to landing two on Gutierrez.
The last round was more of the same for Serrano (42-1-1, 30 KO). She backed Gutierrez (14-2, 5 KO) onto the ropes and then landed multiple shots before Gutierrez was able to get off. To Gutierrez’s credit, she held on well despite taking a ton of punishment, including two swollen eyes and a bloody nose.
Meanwhile, Serrano, 33, looked like she just had a long run on the treadmill. And now, she could end up with what she’s hoping for next — the biggest fight of her career.
