Katie Taylor’s Farewell at Croke Park: A Legendary Last Fight

Matchroom Boxing isn’t just putting on a show this weekend. It’s staging a farewell.

On Saturday night in Dublin, Katie Taylor steps through the ropes for what she says will be the final time, headlining a colossal card at Croke Park in front of her own people, with every major belt at super lightweight on the line and her legacy already carved in stone.

She doesn’t need this fight to prove anything. She’s taking it anyway.

Taylor’s Final Stand

Taylor, 25-1, arrives at Croke Park carrying the WBA, WBO, IBF and The Ring 140-pound titles. One more win, and she walks away as the undisputed super lightweight champion again, reclaiming the vacant WBC belt she surrendered when she stepped away from the sport.

From 2023 to 2025, Taylor ruled this division outright. Then came the break. The miles on the clock, the wars, the trilogy with Amanda Serrano — especially that last one.

Her most recent outing was that massive third meeting with Serrano at Madison Square Garden, a headlining trilogy that felt like a natural full stop. Sixteen months later, the pause ends where the story began: at home.

The opponent this time is Flora Pili, the WBC mandatory challenger, dangerous enough to spoil the script, determined enough to try. Yet this night is shaped far more by the setting than the matchup. Taylor made it clear after Serrano that she would only return for one last fight if it took place at Croke Park in Dublin. Eddie Hearn promised to make it happen. He’s now calling this the biggest and greatest night of his career.

The event has been billed, fittingly, as “Once Upon a Time.” It sounds like a fairy tale. It will feel like anything but when the first bell rings.

A Double-Header Weekend of Power

Taylor–Pili is only half of Matchroom’s play this weekend. It serves as the second leg of a double-header, following a Matchroom-promoted edition of “The Fight” topped by heavyweights Andy Ruiz and Damian Knyba.

For the hardcores, it’s a full day of boxing. For Taylor, it’s a full stop.

The main card from Croke Park begins at 2 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. BST, with prelims starting at 11 a.m. ET, all live on DAZN. The stadium, the belts, the stakes — everything is dialed up.

Irish Fire on the Undercard

Taylor isn’t the only Irish fighter carrying expectation into the night.

Paddy Donovan takes the co-main slot against Tyrone McKenna in a 10-round welterweight clash. Donovan is trying to build momentum again after a rough patch. He comes in off a 12-round majority decision victory over Karen Chukhadzhian in May, a much-needed response after back-to-back defeats to former IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker.

This is the kind of fight that tells you where a career is really heading. Another win, and Donovan can talk about streaks again instead of setbacks.

Heavyweight cult favorite David Allen also makes the trip to Dublin, matching up with local man Thomas “The Bomber” Carty in a 10-rounder. Carty, 11-1, has the home city behind him. Allen brings something else: activity. This will be his fourth fight in five months, coming off consecutive four-round decision wins over Ross McGuigan and Dan Garber. He’s never far from chaos, in or out of the ring, and Carty will try to harness that energy for himself.

The card runs deep. Taylor Bevan meets Emmet Brennan over 10 rounds at super middleweight. Joe McGrail faces Matthew Boreland in a 10-round super bantamweight bout. Paul Ryan goes eight rounds with Paddy Gallagher at middleweight, while Adam Olaniyan faces Matej Hudak in a four-round heavyweight contest. Bobbi Flood opens the night’s professional action against Jack Swallow over four rounds at junior middleweight.

‘Meatball’ McCann Crosses Codes Again

Before Taylor walks, a familiar name from another fight game steps into the spotlight.

Former UFC women’s flyweight contender “Meatball” Molly McCann continues her transition to professional boxing, headlining the Taylor vs. Pili prelims in her fifth pro boxing outing. The 36-year-old takes on Sylwia Doligala, 8-2-2, in an eight-round junior featherweight contest, the third fight of the night.

McCann’s profile and personality guarantee noise. Doligala’s record guarantees resistance. It’s a step that will show whether McCann’s move into the ring is a side story or the start of something more serious.

Early Action from Germany

For those who can’t get enough, the day starts much earlier on DAZN with a 10-fight card from Ludwigshafen, Germany, promoted by Aldo Ricardo Silman and Primora Boxing.

Former NABO super welterweight title challenger Slawa Spomer headlines against undefeated Ghanaian Faisal Abubakari in a 10-round welterweight bout. Spomer is still best known for the nine-round beating he absorbed from former WBA and WBO 154-pound champion Xander Zayas in February 2025, a defeat that threatened to define him.

He’s been busy trying to rewrite that narrative. Since the loss to Zayas, Spomer returned with a third-round TKO win over Jaime Villegas in February. Now he leads a card stacked with German talent — 11 fighters from the host nation feature on the Rheinland-Pfalz bill.

The undercard includes Fedor Michel vs. Ralfs Vicans (10 rounds, light heavyweight), Ibo Diallo vs. Shefat Isufi (10 rounds, cruiserweight), Franklyn Dwomoh vs. Cristian Villanueva (8 rounds, lightweight), Dominique Roundtree vs. Tamas Kiliti (6 rounds, featherweight), Alexander Okafor vs. Daniil Iudin (6 rounds, light heavyweight), Omar Jagana vs. Mario Turiello (6 rounds, light middleweight), Jasurbek Yuldoshev vs. Jacob Miller (6 rounds, light heavyweight), Sebastian Busch vs. Artur Andrejev (4 rounds, super middleweight), and Lucas Vogt vs. Sun Tiebo (4 rounds, light middleweight).

The Ludwigshafen show begins at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT, also on DAZN, serving as the opening act to a long day that ends in Dublin.

Full Croke Park Fight Card

Main event – Croke Park, Dublin

• (C) Katie Taylor vs. Flora Pili (10 rounds, for the undisputed women’s super lightweight titles)
• Paddy Donovan vs. Tyrone McKenna (10 rounds, welterweight)
• David Allen vs. Thomas Carty (10 rounds, heavyweight)
• Taylor Bevan vs. Emmet Brennan (10 rounds, super middleweight)
• Joe McGrail vs. Matthew Boreland (10 rounds, super bantamweight)
• Molly McCann vs. Sylwia Doligala (8 rounds, women’s junior featherweight)
• Paul Ryan vs. Paddy Gallagher (8 rounds, middleweight)
• Adam Olaniyan vs. Matej Hudak (4 rounds, heavyweight)
• Bobbi Flood vs. Jack Swallow (4 rounds, junior middleweight)

Time: 2 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. BST (prelims from 11 a.m. ET)

Watch: DAZN

Location: Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland

Germany – Ludwigshafen card

• Slawa Spomer vs. Faisal Abubakari (10 rounds, welterweight)
• Fedor Michel vs. Ralfs Vicans (10 rounds, light heavyweight)
• Ibo Diallo vs. Shefat Isufi (10 rounds, cruiserweight)
• Franklyn Dwomoh vs. Cristian Villanueva (8 rounds, lightweight)
• Dominique Roundtree vs. Tamas Kiliti (6 rounds, featherweight)
• Alexander Okafor vs. Daniil Iudin (6 rounds, light heavyweight)
• Omar Jagana vs. Mario Turiello (6 rounds, light middleweight)
• Jasurbek Yuldoshev vs. Jacob Miller (6 rounds, light heavyweight)
• Sebastian Busch vs. Artur Andrejev (4 rounds, super middleweight)
• Lucas Vogt vs. Sun Tiebo (4 rounds, light middleweight)

Two continents. One broadcaster. A full day of fights.

But when the lights hit Croke Park and Katie Taylor walks that long path to the ring, everything else will feel like undercard noise to a career that built nights exactly like this.