Katie Taylor has confirmed that her farewell professional fight will take place in Dublin this summer, as the 39-year-old prepares to bring an extraordinary career to a close. Although she previously revealed in January that she intended to retire in 2026, Taylor has now gone a step further by announcing that her final bout will be staged in the Irish capital.
While discussions are ongoing, Taylor’s preferred venue is Croke Park, a setting she has long dreamed of headlining. Efforts to secure the iconic GAA headquarters have been ongoing for several years, though no agreement has yet been finalised. Should those negotiations prove unsuccessful, alternative venues include Aviva Stadium and the 3Arena, both of which have previously hosted major sporting events.
Taylor told RTÉ Sport: "We're still trying to figure the details out but I do having one more fight this year. It's kind of like my retirement fight.
"It has been an amazing journey, the whole lot of it, over these last 20 years.
"I have had the highs and lows. It has been an incredible, remarkable career and I always wanted to end it here in Ireland."
The Bray native last fought in July, when she secured a third consecutive victory over Amanda Serrano to retain her undisputed super lightweight titles. Now, she is determined to celebrate her final appearance on home soil, acknowledging the unwavering backing she has received throughout her career.
"Irish people have been so amazing to me throughout my whole career, they've gotten behind me during those Olympic Games and followed my career all the way through the professional ranks," she said.
"It means so much to me. I'm just so grateful for that support and so grateful to be Irish."
"That's what we're hoping and preparing for, to have one last fight. It is going to be an amazing celebration.
"I just want to fight in Dublin to end my career. Obviously we're still hoping for Croke Park, we're hanging on to a bit of hope that it can happen.
"If it doesn't happen there are plenty of options there. I have obviously fought in the 3Arena a couple of times, the Aviva Stadium is also there.
"Croke Park would be top of the list. Fighting my last fight in our most iconic arena, how special would that be?"
"I think it would be absolutely remarkable if I was able to do that. I'm not sure if it is going to happen or not."
"Either way, I'll be ending my career here and I'm very, very excited about that."
Although neither an opponent nor a confirmed date has been announced, late summer appears most likely, with July or August under consideration depending on venue availability.
