After two-and-a-half years, Taylor is the undisputed world champion
Katie Taylor became the undisputed lightweight world champion on Sunday morning after a points decision victory over her Belgian opponent Delfine Persoon at Madison Square Garden.
It was a fight and a night of tension for the Irish Olympic titan, who had to suffer through the most difficult fight of her career in a bout which she went into as a 1-20 favourite.
The final result was incredibly controversial, with a number of TV commentators scoring the fight in her opponents’ favour.
Post-fight, Carl Frampton – who hosts TKO with Chris Lloyd – called the decision “disgraceful” after the judges scored the fight 95-95 96-94 96-94 in the Bray-native’s favour.
Despite the furore over the result, Taylor connected with more punches than her opponent, and comments she made to Frampton before the fight were indicative of why she was able to hold on during a final round which saw her swaying on her feet more than she ever has before during her professional career.
Asked about the pressure of people just expecting her to win each fight, she said: “Yeah, it’s all the same for me. I think there’s pressure in every single fight for me, so this fight is no different.
“I understand the magnitude of this fight, and how big it is, and how big the event actually is as well.
“But these are the fights I’ve always wanted. I think pressure is a privilege, really, and to be in this position is amazing.”
The victory sees Taylor extended her professional record to 14-0.
