Amanda Serrano defeats Heather Hardy, 'a hell of a fighter' - ESPN

Amanda Serrano stuck her tongue out after the final bell, looking right at her old friend and sparring partner, Heather Hardy. Serrano had dominated the fight, but this night to them always seemed to be about a little bit more.

Serrano won a unanimous decision over Hardy — 99-91, 100-90, 100-90 — to retain her undisputed featherweight titles in a battle of Brooklyn taking place in Texas. The longtime friends had known each other over a decade and as much as the opportunity to win a title, it was about taking care of one another.

Hardy earned her biggest payday — her first six-figure paycheck at age 41. Serrano got some good work in and was dominant throughout, outlanding Hardy 278-149 and outthrowing her 739-557.

«Heather is a hell of a fighter. She's as tough as they come,» Serrano said in the post-fight interview inside the ring. «We knew that. Who gets kicked in the face and still wants to fight.

»So, I love Heather."

Saturday's fight, which often saw one-sided rounds with Serrano landing 46.9% of her power punches, felt different than a typical title fight. The lead-up to the fight was discussion from both Serrano and Hardy about their mutual caring for one another and their relationship, how they often helped each other out throughout their careers.

Even on fight night, the two hugged before the start of the fight. Hardy apologized mid-fight after her mouthpiece fell out, briefly pausing the bout. The whole bout had not a feeling of disdain or hatred but a fight between two Brooklyn natives who had been pioneers in the sport, who carried the sport before it took off the last five years, facing off against one another one last time.

To wit: When Serrano, ESPN's No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter, was asked about her