Katie Taylor speaks for the first time about Ronda Rousey super fight

Katie Taylor says she is ‘very open’ to sharing the ring with UFC legend Ronda Rousey.

Reports emerged on Monday linking two of the most popular female combat sports stars of all time to a sizzling summer showdown in Las Vegas next year.

According to BoxingScene, both camps are in active negotiations, with Netflix keen to stream the fight should talks continue to progress.

Reacting to the news for the first time while attending the WBC convention in Thailand, Taylor said: “[Rousey’s] an iconic figure herself in female sport.

“She has an amazing mentality. You don’t get to the position she’s in without a fantastic mind, without a fantastic mentality. 

“It’s just a very interesting fight. Seeing all the headlines this morning, I was thinking, ‘OK, I’m up and ready for this fight.’

“Absolutely, it’s an interesting fight.

“It’s a fight that will interest and capture the imagination of the fans, and that’s what boxing needs.

“I’d be very, very happy to fight Ronda. I’m very open to these kinds of fights where all generations can sit down and watch boxing.

“I’m very, very open… to fighting Ronda Rousey. Absolutely open to it, for sure.

“[Rousey] has such a huge following. It would be an amazing privilege to step into the ring with such a legend – not just in UFC, but women’s sports as a whole. We’ll see what happens.”

What has Ronda Rousey achieved?

While Rousey, a former UFC bantamweight champion and Olympic judo bronze medalist, is better known for her grappling, she developed her boxing skills towards the end of her career, resulting in two of her last three MMA wins ending via knockout.

Rousey, 38, eventually retired from the sport in 2016, following back-to-back defeats inside the distance to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes before turning her hand to professional wrestling.

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Two short stints with the WWE ensued, but she cut her career short in 2023 due to concerns with her long history of concussions.

Earlier this year, she returned to the gym to restart her MMA training, sparking speculation about a possible comeback, and it now appears she is on the verge of switching to a fourth discipline.

What has Katie Taylor achieved?

2012 Olympic gold medallist Taylor is the reigning undisputed super lightweight champion and a former four-belt queen at lightweight.

In July, she retained her crown against Amanda Serrano to close out their iconic trilogy in style.

The third fight drew a remarkable 6million viewers on Netflix.

A bout with Rousey would more than likely surpass that.