Upstart boxing promoter Eddie Hearn wants to see his star client take on some of the most dangerous women in MMA. With Katie Taylor fresh off the back of her historic victory over Amanda Serrano, Hearn appeared on The MMA Hour to propose two very exciting opponents for the Irish boxer: Cris Cyborg or Holly Holm. “There’s two fights that I find really interesting — one is Holly Holm and one is Cris Cyborg.
Holly Holm is a very good boxer. Cyborg can also box, has great power, doesn’t quite have the boxing résumé of Holly Holm, but they’re big crossover fights. I think Holly Holm has a fight left with the UFC, which would make that difficult to do. Cyborg I think has a Bellator agreement, but it doesn’t cross over into boxing. So just some friendly chats — she was at the show at Madison Square Garden — but no real negotiations. But definitely a fight that I would be interested in for a number of different reasons.
Eddie Hearn: Katie Taylor Has “Earned the Right” To Box Holly Holm or Cris Cyborg Next
Something different and fun. You get to Katie Taylor’s stage in her career and you start looking at other fights and it’s like, what can you do now? So it’s like, is it Holly Holm in Vegas or Cyborg in Vegas, or something in Dublin?”
Hearn pointed out that Cris Cyborg’s Bellator contract allows her to pursue boxing matches, making this potential matchup entirely possible.
“I can say there’s a possibility. I think it’s interesting. She’s kind of done everything in boxing, and to bring in that new market to women’s boxing. The thing I don’t like about the Cyborg fight is she’s big and strong. Katie would have to go up.
She would have to fight above 140, which she can’t really do, but Cyborg has a massive problem fighting Taylor because — she doesn’t mind, but in terms of the fight itself, you’re talking about a pound-for-pound great. Katie has a problem because of the strength of Cyborg. That’s what makes that fight interesting.
She’s going to be 20 pounds heavier, or close to it, on the night [of the fight]. I just think it’s something different and Katie’s earned the right. It’s not an exhibition, it’s not like we’re just having a joke fight. These are dangerous females and it just brings a new fan base to the sport.”
Do you think Katie Taylor should take on Cris Cyborg, or would you rather see her fight Holly Holm? Let us know in the comments.
