Persoon looking to neutralize Taylor’s holding in rematch
Persoon gets another crack at Taylor Saturday on DAZN.
Delfine Persoon gets another shot at becoming undisputed lightweight champion on Saturday, when she faces Katie Taylor in a highly-anticipated rematch, which will stream live on DAZN.
Persoon (44-2, 18 KO) lost a controversial decision to Taylor (15-0, 6 KO) in June 2019, a grueling 10-round battle that really could have gone either way, with plenty of people thinking Persoon had done enough to earn the upset win.
Instead, Taylor got the majority decision, fully unifying the 135-pound division. Persoon now gets a somewhat unexpected second crack at Taylor, following Taylor’s proposed fight with Amanda Serrano falling through.
The 35-year-old Belgian will again be the underdog, but certainly not to the degree she was last time. She’s also been critical of Taylor’s tactics, but isn’t fully focused on the criticism itself, instead thinking of ways she can be better and neutralize what Taylor wants to do:
“Grabbing and holding is not boxing. Boxing offensively, jabbing and working, is the way to box. I respect her style. I must prove my style, like I did in New York, but even better. I could see I am bigger than her. I have to start the fight faster than last time, with a higher tempo. But I can’t change the whole thing. My way of boxing is with pressure. I can box also on the back foot but, a lot of the time, my opponents don’t pressure me. But I can do it. I spar with guys in Belgium who are stronger than me. They give me problems and I find solutions. Against a girl, I always feel stronger because I train with men. But I like to box in front. Boxing with my heart can be a problem, sometimes I forget to use my [brain]. I must not give her time to hold me. Don’t give her the time.”
Persoon and the 34-year-old Taylor will serve as the co-feature on the Whyte-Povetkin card, the final Matchroom Fight Camp event currently scheduled from the company’s headquarters.
Bad Left Hook will have full coverage of the event on Saturday, Aug. 22, beginning at 2 pm ET. The card also airs on Sky Box Office in the UK.