Katie Taylor has said she is “ready for” a fight with Ronda Rousey, after a surprise report suggested the two could square off in 2026.
Taylor and Rousey are titans of combat sports, with Ireland’s Taylor arguably the greatest women’s boxer of all time, and Rousey an icon of the UFC – the flagship promotion in mixed martial arts (MMA).
On Monday, BoxingScene reported that the pair could meet in a boxing match in Las Vegas in the coming months, and Taylor said on Tuesday that it was “the first I’ve heard about it”, but that she was “very open” to the bout.
“She’s an iconic figure herself in female sport, and she has an amazing mentality,” said Taylor on Tuesday, speaking at the WBC convention in Bangkok, Thailand.
“You don’t get to the position that she’s in without a fantastic mind, without a fantastic mentality. So, it’s just a a very interesting fight for me.
“This is the first I’ve heard about it as well, this morning. I look at all the headlines, and I’m thinking: ‘Okay, I’m up for this fight, I’m ready for this fight, and I’ll be very excited for this fight as well.’”
The Independent has approached Taylor’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, for comment.
Taylor, a former two-weight undisputed champion and Olympic gold medalist, last fought in July, outpointing fellow great Amanda Serrano for the third time.
Taylor, 39, possesses a professional boxing record of 25-1. Her sole defeat came in 2023, when she was outpointed by Chantelle Cameron, whom she beat via decision in a rematch the same year.
Meanwhile, Rousey was 12-2 in MMA before retiring. The American has not fought since 2016, when she failed to recapture the UFC bantamweight title against Amanda Nunes.
The 38-year-old lost her final two bouts, suffering a knockout by Nunes inside 48 seconds after a 2015 KO by Holly Holm. However, she was a pioneer of women’s MMA, known for her grappling prowess and quick submission wins.
She later began to appear in films and has had multiple stints in professional wrestling under the WWE banner.
