Skye Nicolson had the opportunity to enter the ring as the WBC featherweight titlist.

The 2020 Olympic quarterfinalist instead chose to fight for that honor. She made it count in a ten-round wipeout of former IBF titleholder Sarah Mahfoud.

Scores were 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91 for Nicolson, who claimed the vacant WBC title Saturday at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

“It means everything. I wasn’t going to be deprived of this moment,” Nicolson told DAZN’s Chris Mannix on-air after her title win. “I wanted this moment here in the ring.”

Nicolson-Mahfoud aired on the DAZN undercard of the Richardson Hitchins-Gustavo Lemos IBF junior welterweight title eliminator.

The jab and straight left hand were on point all night for Australia’s Nicolson (10-0, 1 knockout), The Ring’s No. 5-rated featherweight. Mahfoud, No. 1 at 126 (for now), was within Nicolson’s desired range all night and unable to make the first time title challenger pay.

Nicolson was more assertive beginning in round two, as she threw her straight left hand with greater purpose. Mahfoud took the shots well but struggled to adjust defensively. Nicolson was also effective with her looping left hand to the body throughout their ten-round contest.

Mahfoud found mild success with her jab late in the bout. It was never enough to erase the massive scorecard deficit, or even win a round on two of the cards.

Nicolson played to the crowd in the closing seconds of the bout, in advance of her first major title win. It was a bit too extra to Mahfoud, who initially turned her back in her corner when Nicolson attempted a post-fight embrace. The two ultimately exchanged congratulations after the scorecards were announced.

Mahfoud fell to 14-2 (3 KOs) as she snapped a three-fight win streak. The brief run came after a ten-round defeat to Amanda Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) in their September 2022 unification bout. Mahfoud’s IBF title reign came to a close that night.

Serrano entered that fight as the WBC and WBO featherweight titlist and added the IBF belt. She then fully unified the division and won The Ring featherweight championship one fight later.  It came in a ten-round win over Erika Cruz in their non-stop thriller last February 3 in New York City.

Nicolson fought on the undercard that evening and picked up the interim featherweight title two fights later. She outpointed Sabrina Perez last September 15 in Mexico City to win the secondary title.

With it came the right to challenge Serrano as the mandatory challenger. That status was enforced shortly after Nicolson’s ninth-round knockout of Lucy Wildheart last November 25 in Dublin, Ireland.

Serrano, No. 4 pound-for-pound, chose to vacate the title when the WBC refused to sanction her fights over twelve, three-minute rounds. Women’s title fights are traditionally ten, two-minute rounds. The WBC was the lone holdout in Serrano’s desire to change the culture.

“I find it funny that she waited until she decided that’s what she wanted to do,” stated Nicolson.

Nicolson ultimately was the benefactor, though she refused the offer to upgrade her interim title. She instead enjoyed the satisfaction of a win over a former titleholder in just her tenth pro bout. Comparatively, Serrano—one of the greatest female boxers ever—beat Mahfoud in her 46^th career contest.

Of course, Serrano remains the higher ranked and far more established boxer of the two. Nicolson would never argue otherwise until they are able to meet in the ring. That offer was extended by the newly crowned WBC titlist.

“I’m ready when she’s ready,” insisted Nicolson. “Obviously, I want the belts. It’s nothing personal, Amanda. I’m ready when you are.

“I respect the WBC’s rules (on two-minute rounds). But if the only way to fight Amanda Serrano is over twelve, three-minute rounds, talk to my team and we’ll make it happen.”

OTHER UNDERCARD RESULTS

Marc Castro opened the five-fight main card with a ten-round, unanimous decision over Abraham Montoya. Scores were 100-90, 98-92 and 97-93 for Castro (12-0, 7 KOs), a former amateur standout from Fresno, California.

An aggressive pace was forced in the early rounds by Castro. He banked round and built an insurmountable lead. The only thing Castro could not do, was crack the granite chin of Mexicali’s Montoya (22-6-1, 14 KOs).

Brief moments of success were enjoyed by Montoya in the later rounds. Castro quickly adapted and closed strong to preserve his unbeaten record.

Los Angeles’ Steven Navarro (1-0, 1 KOs) enjoyed a successful pro debut with a sixth-round stoppage of Jose Lopez (4-3-3, 0 KOs). The 20-year-old Navarro won every round before he closed the show late in the sixth and final round.

Brooklyn’s Harley Mederos (6-0, 5 KOs) halted Pedro Vicente in the fourth round of the evening’s curtain raiser. Puerto Rico’s Vicente (7-7-1, 2 KOs) was down in rounds one and two. Mederos remained on the attack and closed the show at 0:40 of round four.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Follow @JakeNDaBox

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