Serrano joins Oleksandr Usyk and Dana White as the only three combat sports figures named to the list and is the only woman in combat sports to receive the honor
NEW YORK, NY — Today, TIME named MVP’s boxing trailblazer and seven division champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (49-4-1, 32 KOs) to the inaugural 2026 TIME100 Sports list, recognizing 100 of the most influential figures shaping the global sports landscape. Serrano is one of only three combat sports figures on the list, joining Oleksandr Usyk and Dana White and is the only woman in combat sports to receive the honor. The recognition follows Serrano’s record-breaking success as one of the sport’s most decorated champions of all time, alongside her trailblazing leadership in the fight for equality and pay equity in women’s boxing.
“Being named to TIME’s inaugural TIME100 Sports list is an incredible honor. Throughout my career, I’ve always wanted to prove that women’s boxing belongs on the biggest stages in sports and that female fighters deserve the same opportunities, visibility, and respect as the men,” said Amanda Serrano.
“This recognition is for every woman and young girl who has fought so far to move this sport forward, for all the women who have been able to get the platforms and paydays they deserve. Thank you to Nakisa Bidarian, Jake Paul, MVP, my team, and my fans in Puerto Rico and around the world for their support to both make the impact we have so far, and for the work ahead to continue creating opportunities for the next generation of women’s boxing.”
There’s only one Amanda Serrano and the Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican is the real deal, becoming the only female figure in combat sports to appear on the inaugural 2026 TIME100 Sports list – Image Credit: Most Valuable Promotions
“This recognition from TIME is a testament to the extraordinary impact Amanda Serrano has made on sports and culture. Her accomplishments as a seven-division world champion and the most decorated fighter in women’s boxing history speak for themselves, but what truly separates Amanda is her role as a trailblazer who has transformed what is possible for female athletes,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “Through her relentless pursuit of equality, her willingness to challenge long-standing barriers in the sport, and her ability to captivate audiences on the biggest stages in the world, Amanda has paved the way to elevate women’s boxing to unprecedented heights. She stands among only three combat sports figures on the entire list and is the only woman in combat sports to receive this honor. We are proud to call Amanda MVP’s first signee, and there is no one more deserving of a place on TIME’s inaugural TIME100 Sports list than the GOAT of women’s boxing.”
Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano is the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion and the most decorated fighter in women’s boxing history, recognized by the Guinness World Records for the most boxing world championships won by a female in different weight classes. Serrano, currently the unified featherweight champion holding the WBO, WBA and Ring Magazine titles, is Most Valuable Promotions’ first signee, who also signed the first ever lifetime combat sports contract with MVP and will become Chairwoman of MVP’s women’s boxing initiatives to lead the company’s efforts in identifying, signing, developing and marketing the promotion’s growing roster of female athletes post her in-ring retirement. Serrano faced off against Katie Taylor for the first time at Madison Square Garden in April 2022, making history as the first women’s fight to headline Madison Square Garden, earning global acclaim and winning Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year for 2022. Taylor vs. Serrano was also nominated for Sports Business Journal’s Event of the Year, a testament to the global reach and power of the event.
Following the historic bout, Serrano defeated Sarah Mahfoud and Erika Cruz en-route to becoming the undisputed featherweight champion. She successfully defended her undisputed title in August 2023 against Heather Hardy before making history again, defeating Danila Ramos in October 2023 in the first-ever women’s unified world championship contested over 12 three-minute rounds—equal to a men’s championship fight. She threw a career-high 1,103 punches in the bout, solidifying her status as a trailblazer for gender equality in boxing. In recognition of her achievements inside and outside the ring, Serrano was named the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Female Fighter of the Year for 2023, as well as Sports Illustrated’s and Boxing Scene’s 2023 Women’s Fighter of the Year. She continued her dominance in July 2024, scoring a second-round knockout victory over Stevie Morgan in a super lightweight bout.
Serrano went on to face Katie Taylor in the most anticipated women’s boxing rematch in modern history in the co-main event of MVP’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson card on Netflix in November 2024. The undisputed super lightweight title fight averaged 74 million live viewers globally and became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in US history with 47 million AMA in the US. The bout ended in a razor-thin decision victory for Taylor, sparking global debate and skyrocketing Serrano’s social following to over 1.2 million. #Serrano also trended at #2 on X in the US, Brazil, Spain, and Canada post-fight, further cementing her status as a global icon.
Serrano then faced Taylor a third and final time atop an all-women’s event at Madison Square Garden, commanding the world’s attention once again on Netflix, continuing to break barriers for women in combat sports with a historic trilogy.
Serrano made her long-awaited homecoming to Puerto Rico in a unified featherweight title defense of her WBO and WBA featherweight titles in January 2026, defeating challenger Reina Tellez.
In May 2026, Serrano made her MVPW and ESPN debut on MVPW-03, the new year-round global platform for women’s boxing from MVP showcasing the sport’s most elite female fighters with championship bouts on every card.
She faced mandatory challenger Cheyenne Hanson, earning a second-round TKO. With the win, Serrano officially tied the all-time women’s knockout record with 32 career KOs.
Explore the complete TIME100 Sports list at ti.me/100sports.
The TIME100 Sports list will appear in the June 22, 2026, issue of TIME, available on newsstands on Friday, July 12.
Information Courtesy of Most Valuable Promotions
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