The last year-and-a-half of 'The Real Deal's career has been wrapped up in the conclusion of a close-fought trilogy with her rival Katie Taylor.

Now, after two narrow losses, the star will seek to get back to winning ways, and will do so in a unified WBA and WBO featherweight title defence.

But is it the start of the next chapter for Serrano? Or does 2026 mark the final swansong for one of the sport's greatest modern trailblazers?

A next chapter...

With titles in more than half-a-dozen divisions across her career, Serrano's relentless drive for success has helped fire her storied career so far.

This latest defence, against an opponent called up at short notice, sees her arrive as a heavy favourite, with an expectation she will succeed again.

That could lay the path for further challenges at featherweight this year, with Tiara Brown and Nina Meinke the current other champions in play.

Alternatively, Serrano could focus on her personal goals - namely securing fifty professional wins and taking Christy Martin's 32-bout KO record.

With 47 under her belt for the former, and 31 secured for the latter, 2026 could prove to be a very busy campaign for the star in pursuit of her goals.

...or a final swansong

That said, however, if Serrano picks up her schedule and motors through the year, the star could well wrap up the next twelve months with success.

If that is the case, then retirement may come knocking sooner than people think - and there is certainly little left for the star to prove in the game.

At 37, there is still plenty left in the tank - but many other fighters hang up their gloves long before they close in on hitting 40 and then some.

Save for her trilogy of losses to Taylor - results Serrano firmly believes she was on the right side of - there is very little in the way of unfinished business.

Lock out her goals with three more wins and two more knockouts under her belt in 2026, and it may well be she chooses to hang up her gloves for good.

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