Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano result: Taylor wins epic war by split decision despite being badly hurt in round five of Madison Square Garden bout

Katie Taylor cemented her status as a boxing legend with a win over Amanda Serrano by narrow split decision in a modern classic on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The fight which was billed as one of the biggest women's boxing matches of all time more than lived up to expectations as Taylor and Serrano delivered a ten-round epic in front of a vociferous crowd.

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The fight began with a well-contested opener in which both fighters looked sharp.

Serrano began on the front foot, while Taylor boxed nicely on the back foot and countered effectively.

The Irishwoman landed the stand-out punch of round two as she found a home for a hard straight right.

Serrano responded with more accuracy in her attack in the third, though Taylor continued to control the range well and answered back.

The atmosphere inside MSG was so raucous that the referee could not hear the bell at the end of the session.

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Round four saw more success from the challenger as she continued to close the gap to the champion, but left herself open to counter-punches time and time again.

In the fifth, the momentum of the fight changed in an instant.

Serrano backed Taylor into a corner and fired away in a thrilling exchange.

Taylor threw her game plan out of the window and battled back to the centre of the ring, but was then badly hurt as she staggered into the path of a massive combination of hooks.

Serrano attempted to floor her dazed foe, but Taylor clung on and survived the round on unsteady legs.

The champion fought like a true warrior in round six while still feeling the effects of the previous session.

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Remarkably, Taylor nailed Serrano with a series of hard punches just minutes after being out on her feet.

In round seven Taylor returned to her initial game plan and had renewed success counter-punching off the back foot.

As they entered the final three rounds, the fight was in the balance.

Serrano appeared tired from her earlier onslaught and Taylor regained control with her counters.

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In round nine, chants of 'Katie, Katie' rang around MSG as the Irish fans responded to their champion's success.

And in the final round the two fighters exchanged heavy punches once again as the thrilling contest came to an end with nobody being certain who was going to get the decision.

The judges scored it 96-94 Serrano, 97-93 Taylor, 96-93 Taylor as she retained her undisputed WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO lightweight world titles.

UFC star Conor McGregor was ectastic to see his compatriot produce the goods, calling Taylor 'The Greatest'.

"Take a bow, ladies. What a contest!"

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Promoter Eddie Hearn said afterwards: "You just saw one of the greatest fights in the history Madison Square Garden.

"I'm so proud of Katie Taylor - amazing. The greatest Irish athlete of all time in my opinion."

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