Serrano aiming for KO record Aug. 21 in title defense on TikTok

Amanda Serrano's mission to retire with the women's knockout record is in full swing as the unified featherweight champion will get the opportunity to break Christy Martin's record of 32 knockouts on Aug. 21, when she faces Lucrecia Manzur at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California, ESPN confirmed with Most Valuable Promotions on Thursday.

The fight for Serrano's WBA and WBO titles will be streamed on TikTok LIVE as part of a special collaboration between Most Valuable Promotions and TikTok that will bring championship boxing to the social media platform. The fight will be contested over 12 two-minute rounds.

Serrano (49-4-1, 32 KOs) tied Martin's record in May with a second-round stoppage of Cheyenne Hanson. The seven-division world champion has routinely stated that 2026 will likely be her final year in the fight game but remains persistent in her desire to break Martin's record before calling it a career. She'll get that opportunity against Argentina's Manzur (14-4, 7 KOs), who is ranked No. 2 by the WBO.

"I've dedicated my career to creating opportunities for women's boxing and bringing our sport to the biggest stages possible, so to headline the first-ever championship boxing event on TikTok is incredibly meaningful," said Serrano in a statement. "Women's boxing deserves to be seen by as many people around the world as possible, and this partnership gives us the chance to introduce our sport to a massive global audience in a completely new way ... on Friday, August 21, I have the opportunity to make history for my island, break the all-time women's knockout record, and defend my world titles. This will be a night to remember for Temecula and boxing fans around the world."

Manzur, 27, has won five straight after hitting a rough patch where she went 1-3 in 2023. She has fought exclusively in Argentina since turning pro in 2020 and will be up against her toughest test to date in her first fight on U.S. soil.

"I've been asking for this opportunity for a very long time. Ever since I started boxing, I've dreamed of fighting for a world title, and now I have the chance to do it against one of the sport's true icons and someone I've always admired -- Amanda Serrano," Manzur said in a statement. "I have tremendous respect for everything Amanda has accomplished and for the legacy she has built. But once we step into the ring, my focus is on winning. I'm confident in my preparation, my abilities, and the work we've put in together. In one month, I believe Tucumán and all of Argentina will be celebrating a new world champion."

Serrano, 37, told ESPN that she sought to have her final fight in either Puerto Rico or New York but is more than happy to squeeze in another fight that will have its own historic implications as the first championship fight on TikTok.

"From day one, MVP has challenged the traditional boxing model by creating the biggest moments and opportunities for fighters while finding new ways to bring the sport to fans around the world," said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. "Partnering with TikTok to deliver the first-ever championship boxing event on TikTok LIVE is another example of that vision to grow the audience for boxing and make world championship fights more accessible than ever. This event will also further activate MVP's loyal fanbase among hard-to-reach Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, demographics that MVP has consistently reached better than anyone else in the sport.

"This would not be possible without the MAFFE, the MOST ACCOMPLISHED FEMALE FIGHTER EVER, Amanda Serrano. The most watched, the most paid, the most titles, and maybe on Friday, August 21, from The Pechanga Resort in Temecula, California, live on Tik Tok globally, the most knockouts ever -- The MAFFE, Amanda Serrano."

The fight card will also feature U.S. Olympian Jahmal Harvey, Brazil's Jully Poca and the promotional debut of the undefeated Iyana "Roxy" Verduzco.