Pure and simple, Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano is a true fighter, whether it’s in a cage, ring or on a mat. Someday, she could very well be legitimately known as the “Queen of Combat Sports.”
The 10-time, 7 division world boxing champion headlines this Friday night’s iKON 7, presented by iKON Fighting Federation, the mixed-martial-arts division of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing, at Benito Juarez Auditorium in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.
iKON 7 will be streamed live and exclusively June 11th on UFC FIGHT PASS®, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. To sign up for UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com or download the UFC app.
Universally recognized as unquestionably one of the top three women boxers in the world today, joining Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields, the Puerto Rico-native Serrano, fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, is 1-0-1 in mixed-martial-arts competition. She will face pro-debuting Valentia Garcia, of Mexico, in the iKON 7 main event.
“It’s an honor to headline iKON 7,” Serrano said. “It is a fast-rising MMA organization that I plan to plant my flag on. My co-manager, Pearl Gonzalez, turned me on to it and so far, I’m loving my dealings with them.
“My first two opponents in MMA were also Mexicans and they were tough. I don’t want it any other way if I’m going to have people take me seriously in this sport. From what I understand, my opponent has striking experience but in MMA, you should never expect a particular style. Most are well rounded and regardless of their primary style, I’m ready for it.”
Serrano has conquered boxing and legitimately rates as one of the greatest female boxers of all-time, as well as a future Hall of Famer, sporting a 40-1-1(30 KOs) pro record. She’s also 6-0 with in Jiu-Jitsu with five submissions.
“I was having a hard time getting good fights in boxing I wanted,” Serrano explained, “so, I asked my trainer/manager Jordan (Maldonado) started talking about MMA. A year before I debuted in MMA, I shot a movie, ‘Fight Valley’, in which both my sister, Cindy (Serrano), and I co-starred alongside Miesha Tate, Chris Cyborg and Holly Holm. During the filming we talked about helping each other train in our respective disciplines and yeah, it materialized but in way I became an MMA practitioner.
“Training is totally different. I took a year off from boxing just to learn the basics. Today, I train everyday regardless of upcoming fights or not. There are a ton of things I still need to learn. I’m pretty much a workaholic and a sore loser, so, if I’m messing with it, I want it all! I’d love to one day fight for World title (in MMA) and become a champion in both sports at the same time. I have what it takes to do it if anyone does. I do want to switch the narrative as a striker and be known in MMA for my ground game.”
Las Vegas fighter Johnny “The Paradox” Parsons (6-2-0, iKON: 2-0-0) takes on Ricardo “Woody” Chavez (5-1-0), of Mexico, at a 175-pound catchweight In the co-featured event.
Undefeated Tucson welterweight Pete “Dead Game” Rodriguez goes for his fourth consecutive win without a loss – all in iKON competition – against Mexican opponent Roberto “Pixley 2B” Pixley (5-1-0).
Also scheduled to fight on the undercard is Yakima, Washington featherweight Jorge “The Natural” Alcala (4-1-0) vs. Sergio “The Animal” Cortez (3-2-0), Hong Kong female featherweight Ramona Pasqual (4-2-0) vs. pro-debuting Guadalupe Guzman, Miami by way of Egypt welterweight Manmoud Sebie vs. Enrique Hernandez in a battle of pro-debuting fighters, pro-debuting female flyweights Rosselyn Chavira, of Tucson (AZ) and Sofia Salacar, Miami bantamweight Claudia Zamaora (2-1-0, iKON: 1-0-0), and Mexican featherweights Luis “Mano” Garcia (1-2, iKON: 1-1-0) vs. pro-debuting Angel Rivera off-UFC FIGHT PASS.
