Katie Taylor reigns supreme after defending lightweight title at Leeds

The boxer also hinted at the possibility of retiring undefeated.

Last night saw Irish boxer Katie Taylor successfully defend her lightweight title at Headingley Stadium in Leeds. The Bray champion faced USA's Jennifer Han in the ring, and all three judges unanimously awarded her the win. The fight, which was the 19th win of her professional career, was scored 120-109, and in the eighth round, Taylor earned a knock-down. 20,000 fans filled the Leeds stadium, which Katie said, made the fight feel "very, very, special." Speaking after the fight, she said: "The reception was incredible, and the atmosphere was insane. Obviously, this was the first time that I fought in front of a crowd for a long time. I was getting goose bumps even listening to the crowd as I walked out." Taylor hinted at the possibility of retiring soon. She said: "I'm pretty certain I will retire undefeated." Taylor also said that she "can't be too disappointed" by the fight. "All across the board, it was a dominant victory," she said. "I don't think there were any fireworks throughout the fight, but a win is a win an I'm happy with that." Taylor also commended her opponent. She said: "We knew she had a good jab. We knew she was good on her feet. We knew she was quite crafty inside. "I definitely would have liked a stoppage tonight. But it takes two to tangle, and she was very good at surviving, but a win is a win." Following on for last night's victory, Katie will return to her training base in Connecticut. There, she will prepare for her next fight, which, according to her manager Brian Peters, might take place at the start of December. Possible opponents to the pro-boxer include France's Estelle Mossely, who took the gold in the 2016 Olympics, or Kazakhstan's Firuza Sharipova.