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Sarah Mahfoud isn’t bothered by the general lack of attention paid to her part in this weekend’s unification fight.
Most of the attention has been focused on Amanda Serrano, the record-setting seven-division champion who takes on Denmark’s Mahfoud this Saturday on BT Sport Box Office in the UK and ESPN+ in the US from AO Arena in Manchester, England. The ratio of coverage heavily in favor of the Brooklyn-raised Puerto Rican southpaw is understandable, as Serrano is coming off a historic fight with Ireland’s Katie Taylor and has long served as boxing royalty.
Serrano’s biggest longtime fan is the fellow featherweight champion she will face this weekend. So much so, that Mahfoud doesn’t mind staying in the background during the build-up to their anticipated showdown.
“I don’t see it that way. I have this belt. I have earned it. This is a great opportunity for me to step on the big stage, ”said Mahfoud about his long-awaited clash with Serrano. “I really respect Amanda and look forward to facing her in the ring.
“I have wanted this fight for a long time. Of course, Amanda is a great fighter, a great boxer that I have admired. To be able to be in the ring with her is a great honor for me and a great opportunity for me.”
Mahfoud (11-0, 3KOs) puts his IBF featherweight title on the line, while Serrano (42-2-1, 30KOs) returns to his optimum weight where he puts his WBC/WBO/IBO belts on the line in the co- Saturday’s star.
Mahfoud, 32, of Hillerod, Denmark, claimed the interim IBF featherweight title in a ten-round victory over Brenda Karen Carabajal in February 2020. Her reign was upgraded to full title status when the previous claimant Jennifer Han opted not to return to the heavyweight division after giving birth to her second child.
In her most recent contest, Mahfoud outpointed Nina Meinke in ten rounds on April 21 in Copenhagen. The fight took place nine days before Serrano’s epic clash with Taylor, their second straight bout at lightweight. Serrano came perilously close to winning the undisputed 135-pound championship, dropping a disputed split decision in front of a sold-out crowd at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
The decision to return to featherweight was revealed by Serrano just an hour after the fight, confirming his plan during the post-fight press conference. He was originally scheduled to face Carabajal on an August 6 Showtime Pay-Per-View card that was canceled after losing his main event.
Mahfoud was immediately available once Serrano and the Most Valuable Promotions team, led by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, set out to find a new date for the fight. Terms have been reached for the unification fight, where the winner will be just one belt away from claiming undisputed featherweight championship status.
Despite the battle of the top featherweights, oddsmakers are leaning heavily on Serrano, who is a -2100 favorite according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Mahfoud is listed as a +1000 underdog by the same betting site, and up to +1300 at the latest odds posted by FanDuel.
Just as he is fine with Serrano being the center of attention before the fight, Mahfoud is fine with the underdog role as he is confident of leaving England with more titles than when he first arrived.
“We have a plan. We have prepared for this, seeing how Amanda fights,” Mahfoud said. “I think I have a good chance.”
Serrano-Mahfoud serves as a co-feature in the interim WBO heavyweight title fight between Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
