Katie Taylor finally realized her goal this Sunday morning at Madison Square Garden, by unifying the world lightweight titles with a majority win against Delfine Persoon.
“It was a very, very close fight,” an exhausted Taylor said afterward. “I felt like I won the earlier rounds and she came on strong at the end. But I feel like I did enough to win that fight.”
Taylor (14-0, 6 KOs) did well in the first round but Persoon (43-2, 18 KOs) doubled up in the next two rounds roughhousing her way in. With Person’s bullying going overlooked by the referee, Taylor (32) was able to endure her opponent’s wrath with the help of a supportive crowd.
It was the former kickboxer, Delfine Persoon’s first time in the US and she made it evident that she was there for serious business. Persoon (34) jumped right in the moment the fight started, skipping over the feeling-out process.
Up until the sixth round, Persoon dominated with Taylor having to fight off the ropes, but motioning Peerson to keep at it, Taylor made it clear she wasn’t giving up.
Eventually slowing down, Persoon allowed Taylor to deliver some serious counters while missing out wildly on her own. But returning in the eight, owned Taylor with a crunching right hand.
The final round saw both unleash their inner animal center stage with neither showing signs of letting go.
“That’s my problem sometimes,” said Taylor. “I like a fight a bit too much sometimes. I probably should’ve fought on the outside a bit more sometimes. But then I just needed to dig deep and get that win.”
The verdict, in Taylor’s favor, left Persoon in tears.
Concluding the event, Katie Taylor said she’d be happy to play it all back.
“I am definitely happy to give Delfine a rematch,” Taylor said. “There are big fights out there for me. There’s Amanda Serrano and I think that fight should be next but I am really happy to fight whoever.”
Taking Persoon’s WBC belt and adding it to her IBF, WBO and WBA titles, Taylor is now the Undisputed Women’s Lightweight World Champion.
