Katie Taylor focused on tough test, not farewell tribute, before final fight
Forty-year-old Irish boxer Katie Taylor will face unbeaten French fighter Flora Pili at Croke Park on Saturday, aiming to become undisputed light-welterweight champion again in what is set to be her final professional bout. It marks the first boxing event at the venue since Muhammad Ali headlined there more than 54 years ago.
Katie Taylor will step into the ring at Dublin's Croke Park on Saturday night for what is expected to be the last fight of her professional career, facing unbeaten French boxer Flora Pili. Although the event is being billed as a major celebration in front of 80,000 fans, the 40-year-old insists her focus remains entirely on the contest itself rather than on marking her career's end.
Taylor, who holds a record of 25 wins and one loss, has the chance to become undisputed champion at light-welterweight once again. Her only professional defeat came in Dublin in 2023 against Cameron, a result she later avenged to become undisputed champion in a different weight division.
A serious challenge
Pili, 29, arrives with a perfect record across 12 fights and holds both the European and IBO titles. Speaking at a pre-fight news conference, Taylor acknowledged that her opponent is a determined, undefeated fighter and that the bout will not be easy, adding that she tends to perform at her best under such tough circumstances.
Promoter Eddie Hearn described Saturday night as having the potential to become one of the greatest moments in Irish sporting history, while cautioning that Pili poses a genuine threat capable of making the fight difficult for Taylor. According to Hearn, Taylor has been preparing as if for "war," aware she is facing a young, strong opponent.
The event marks the first boxing card at Croke Park since 1972, when Muhammad Ali headlined the venue's last boxing event more than five decades ago.
