Serrano has done enough traveling to know that fighting at home cuts both ways. It can feed you or drain you. She understands the risk.
“It’s a different emotion when I fight here in Puerto Rico because the love is real and genuine. We bring it differently. Boricuas bring it differently.”
The weight in the room
Before talk turned to Reina Tellez, Serrano paused for a heavier reason. She brought up the loss in Anthony Joshua’s camp and spoke like a fighter talking to another fighter.
“I also want to say my condolences and respect for what happened with AJ. His best friends passed away. So I want them to rest in peace. My heart goes out to them and the family.”
The room went quiet. That kind of silence tells its own story. When talk swung back to the fight, Serrano stayed focused.
“We’re going to go in there and do what we do. We’re going to give the fans what they paid for.”
No angles. No slogans. Just a professional approaching another shift.
What is still on the line
Serrano made clear why the grind continues. The topic of equality came up again, and this time it landed without polish.
“Because we want change for the future. I’ve been in the game for 17 years, and I want these women to get equality. We want the bigger paydays. We want the recognition.”
It sounded like fatigue. She has carried divisions and broadcast cards long enough to have earned the right to demand more.
Serrano: “These women, as amateurs, they’re fighting three minutes, so why not do it as a pro? They have to change their whole gameplan. They have to change their whole game and style to become professionals, but I just think it’s better for us women to be able to display our skills and our knockout power. ”
Serrano brings experience and a rhythm that can smother opponents when it holds steady. Tellez brings timing, patience, and a chin that has not yet been cracked. One presses. The other waits.
It will not crown a new star, but it will reveal who still holds their shape when the building shakes for someone else. That answer will come when the bell cuts through the noise.
Event details
Fight: Amanda Serrano vs Reina TellezDate: Saturday, January 3, 2026Venue: Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto RicoPromoters: Most Valuable Promotions / Boxlab PromotionsBroadcast: Live globally on DAZNTickets: prticket.com
Main card lineup:
Amanda Serrano vs. Reina Tellez; For Serrano’s WBA and WBO women’s featherweight world title
Stephanie Han vs. Holly Holm; For Han’s WBA women’s lightweight title
Ebanie Bridges vs. Alexis Arazia; Bantamweight
Krystal Rosado vs. Tania Walters; Bantamweight
Undercard fighters:
Paul Rivera, Alfredo Cruz, Henry Lebron, Chris Echevarria, Gabriel Bernardi, Elise Soto, Abner Figueroa, Edwin Rodriguez, and others.
Start times:
Doors open: 5:30 p.m. AST / 4:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 p.m. UK
Undercard: 6:00 p.m. AST / 5:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 p.m. UK
Main card: 8:00 p.m. AST / 7:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 a.m. UK (Sunday morning)
Main event ring walks: Approximately 10:00 p.m. AST / 9:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 a.m. UK (Sunday morning)
Note: The card features sixteen Puerto Rican fighters, marking one of MVP’s most island-heavy events to date.
