Katie Taylor prepares for sold-out farewell fight against Flora Pili at Croke Park
Katie Taylor will face undefeated French fighter Flora Pili at Croke Park on Saturday, headlining an 80,000-seat stadium in the final bout of her professional boxing career.
The headline bout at Croke Park
Irish boxer Katie Taylor will conclude her professional career on Saturday at Croke Park in Dublin, facing undefeated French champion Flora Pili in a sold-out stadium. The bout marks the first boxing event at the venue since Muhammad Ali fought Al Blue Lewis in July 1972. Taylor enters the ring as the reigning champion looking to become a three-time undisputed super-lightweight world champion. All 80,000 tickets sold out across pre-sale and general release windows, with the final batch claimed within 17 minutes. Promoter Eddie Hearn described the scale of the occasion during the opening press conference at The Helix in Dublin.
I truly believe it'll be one of the greatest moments the sport has ever seen.
Fighter records and preparations
Taylor, who turned 40 and holds an Olympic gold medal from London 2012, enters the ring with a professional record of 25 wins and 1 loss. Her opponent, 29-year-old Pili from Saint-Avold, arrives with an unblemished record of 12 wins and zero defeats, holding the European and IBO super-lightweight titles. Taylor holds four world championship belts, and a total of six belts will be contested during the bout. Trainer Ross Enamait emphasized that the camp remains strictly focused on securing the victory rather than the farewell celebrations.
We gotta win this fight first, or else it's all for nothing.
Taylor echoed that competitive approach, noting that Pili poses a genuine threat to her title ambitions.
I have a job to do, and I'm very much focused on that job. The most important part of Saturday night is I get my hand raised, so it's business as usual for me.
- Katie Taylor
- 25 wins
- Flora Pili
- 12 wins
Fight week schedule and undercard
The fight week program begins on Wednesday with a ticketed public workout at The Helix, followed by a ceremonial weigh-in on Friday at Trinity College. On Saturday, doors at Croke Park will open at 4:00 pm, with the opening undercard fight scheduled for 4:15 pm. The main event ring walk is projected for approximately 10:10 pm, subject to the pace of preceding bouts. The undercard features Paddy Donovan against Tyrone McKenna in the chief support slot, heavyweight Thomas Carty against Dave Allen, and Molly McCann in her boxing transition. Global broadcasting will stream on DAZN, alongside free-to-air coverage on RTÉ 2 and radio commentary on RTÉ 2FM.
- Opening press conference at The Helix in Dublin
- Public workout held at The Helix
- Ceremonial weigh-in takes place at Trinity College
- Croke Park stadium doors open to spectators
- Opening undercard fight commences
- Projected ring walk for Katie Taylor and Flora Pili
Stadium operations and logistics
With the main event expected to finish as late as 11:00 pm, stadium officials have prepared comprehensive crowd dispersal protocols for the residential district surrounding Jones' Road. Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna confirmed that venue officials and gardaí will hold a planning and risk analysis meeting on Thursday to finalize exit procedures. Organizers have engaged with Dublin City Council to address neighborhood concerns over parking, traffic lockdowns, and street litter collection. McKenna called on spectators to remain mindful of local residents when vacating the arena late on Saturday night.
The objective is that people come and have a good time, get out and go home safely.
