Katie Taylor has fought on some of boxing’s biggest stages, won world championships in two weight divisions and helped transform women’s boxing. On Saturday night, one of the sport’s most important careers comes to an end where Taylor always wanted it to — Croke Park in Dublin.
Taylor will face undefeated French challenger Flora Pili on Saturday, September 5, with the undisputed super lightweight championship on the line.
For Taylor, this is more than another title fight.
It is the farewell.
The 40-year-old Irish icon has confirmed that Saturday will be the final professional fight of her career. She will walk into Croke Park before approximately 80,000 supporters with an opportunity to finish one of boxing’s great careers by once again becoming undisputed champion.
Pili has a very different role.
The unbeaten 29-year-old enters at 12-0 with two knockouts and owns the IBO super lightweight title. She is also the IBF mandatory challenger, making her considerably more than a ceremonial opponent selected for Taylor’s farewell.
Taylor wants the perfect ending.
Pili wants to ruin it.
That makes Saturday’s main event one of the most fascinating fights of the weekend.
Tale of the Tape
| Katie Taylor | Flora Pili | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 40 | 29 |
| Height | 5’5″ | 5’7″ |
| Reach | 66″ | Approx. 67½” |
| Record | 25-1 | 12-0 |
| Knockouts | 6 | 2 |
| KO Percentage | 24% | 16.7% |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
Taylor enters at 25-1 with six knockouts, while Pili brings a perfect 12-0 record with two stoppages. Published measurements for Pili vary somewhat by source, but she is generally listed as the naturally taller fighter.
One Last Night for Katie Taylor
There could hardly be a more appropriate ending.
For years, Taylor spoke about wanting to headline at Croke Park. Now her final professional fight takes place at the historic Dublin stadium in front of a massive home crowd.
And there is still something significant to accomplish.
Taylor enters holding the WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine super lightweight championships, while the vacant WBC belt is also at stake. A victory would allow her to finish her career as undisputed champion at 140 pounds.
Taylor’s résumé has already secured her place in boxing history.
She won Olympic gold in London in 2012, became undisputed lightweight champion, became undisputed at super lightweight and fought Amanda Serrano three times in some of the most important events in women’s boxing history.
Now there is only one fight left.
Why Katie Taylor Wins
Taylor’s greatest advantage is obvious: experience at the highest level.
Very few fighters in boxing have spent as much time competing in championship fights against elite opponents.
Taylor has shared the ring with Amanda Serrano, Chantelle Cameron, Delfine Persoon, Natasha Jonas and numerous other world-class fighters.
Pili has never experienced anything remotely comparable to what awaits her Saturday.
Then there is Taylor’s speed.
Even at 40, Taylor remains effective when she fights behind quick combinations, changes angles and refuses to remain directly in front of an opponent.
She does not need knockout power to control a fight.
Taylor wins with activity, timing and an ability to steal exchanges with fast combinations.
Saturday’s environment could also provide an enormous emotional boost.
Croke Park will overwhelmingly belong to Taylor.
The challenge will be using that energy without becoming consumed by it.
Keys to Victory for Taylor
1. Control the pace
Taylor should make Pili fight at her speed rather than allowing the younger challenger to settle into a comfortable rhythm.
2. Win the exchanges with combinations
Pili may land individual punches, but Taylor can answer with three or four shots before moving away.
3. Don’t fight the occasion
There will be enormous emotion surrounding the final fight. Taylor needs to treat the opening bell like another championship night.
Why Flora Pili Wins
The pressure Saturday night belongs almost entirely to Taylor.
Pili can use that.
Nobody expects the French challenger to receive cheers when she walks toward the ring. She is entering one of the most hostile environments imaginable for an opponent.
But she also has very little to lose.
Pili is younger, unbeaten and has steadily worked her way through the European ranks. She won the European super lightweight championship and later captured the IBO title while putting herself in position for this opportunity.
Her youth could become increasingly important as the rounds progress.
Taylor is 40 years old and has been through numerous physically demanding championship fights. Pili needs to make Taylor work every minute.
She also cannot allow herself to become overwhelmed by Taylor’s reputation.
The biggest mistake Pili could make would be entering the ring satisfied simply to be part of the occasion.
She needs to believe she can spoil it.
Keys to Victory for Pili
1. Make Taylor work
Pili needs sustained activity rather than waiting for perfect opportunities.
2. Stay composed early
Taylor and 80,000 Irish fans will create enormous pressure. Pili cannot allow the atmosphere to make her rush.
3. Turn youth into an advantage
If Pili can keep the pace high and make Taylor work physically, the age difference could become more important late in the fight.
Experience vs. Youth
This is ultimately what makes the matchup interesting.
Taylor has almost every advantage in championship experience.
Pili has the advantage that no fighter can manufacture:
eleven years.
Taylor has competed in 26 professional fights and countless major amateur contests. Pili has only 12 professional bouts.
Normally, that gap would overwhelmingly favor Taylor.
But at 40, every championship fight raises the same question:
How much does Taylor have left?
Taylor has given no indication that she intends to simply survive her final appearance. She has spoken about finishing with a major performance rather than participating in a farewell exhibition.
Pili’s job is to force everyone to remember that this is still a real fight.
3 Undercard Fighters to Watch
Paddy Donovan
Paddy Donovan may have as much at stake as anyone outside the main event.
The Irish welterweight faces veteran Tyrone McKenna in a dangerous fight while Donovan sits at the top of the IBF rankings.
Donovan enters at 15-2 with 11 knockouts, while McKenna brings a 25-6-1 record and the kind of experience that makes him difficult to overlook.
For Donovan, this is about protecting his position while performing on the biggest Irish boxing card imaginable.
Molly McCann
Former UFC standout Molly McCann continues the early stages of her professional boxing career.
McCann enters Saturday at 4-0 and faces Sylwia Doligala, who brings considerably more professional boxing experience at 8-2-2.
McCann already knows what it feels like to compete under major pressure.
Now Fight Week gets another look at how far her boxing transition has progressed.
Thomas Carty
Heavyweight Thomas Carty gets one of the biggest opportunities of his career against popular British heavyweight Dave Allen.
Carty enters at 11-1 with nine knockouts, while Allen has fought considerably more experienced opposition throughout his career.
For Carty, beating Allen on the Taylor farewell card would be an excellent way to push himself into the conversation among Ireland’s heavyweight prospects.
Final Word
There are championship fights, and then there are nights that become part of boxing history.
Saturday has the potential to be the latter.
Katie Taylor helped change the perception of women’s boxing, won an Olympic gold medal, became a multi-weight world champion and participated in fights that dramatically expanded the audience for the women’s side of the sport.
Now she gets the ending she wanted.
Croke Park. Dublin. Approximately 80,000 fans. One final fight.
But Flora Pili has her own story to write.
She enters undefeated, more than a decade younger and with the opportunity to produce the biggest victory of her career on one of boxing’s biggest stages.
Taylor wants a fairytale ending.
Pili wants to become the fighter who ruined it.
Saturday night, we find out which story gets written.
Matchroom lists the event for Saturday, September 5 at Croke Park, with the main fight-night program beginning at 7 p.m. local time. Taylor–Pili is being carried worldwide on DAZN, with RTÉ also carrying the event in Ireland.
