Katie Taylor will bring one of the most remarkable careers in Irish sporting history to a close tonight when she steps into the ring at Croke Park.
The Bray boxer faces unbeaten French fighter Flora Pili in what will be Taylor’s final professional contest, with the undisputed super-lightweight titles on the line.
Taylor enters the bout with a professional record of 25 wins and just one defeat, while Pili has won all 12 of her professional fights.
The main event is expected to begin shortly after 10 pm, with nine bouts scheduled across the evening.
The undercard gets underway at 4.05 pm with Paul Ryan taking on Paddy Gallagher, before several high-profile contests build towards the headline fight.
Among them is the meeting of Taylor Bevan and Irish Olympian Emmet Brennan at super-middleweight, while Molly McCann faces Sylwia Doligala.
Paddy Donovan will then take on Tyrone McKenna in a welterweight contest, with Donovan continuing his push towards a world title opportunity.
There is also a heavyweight clash between Dave Allen and Dublin’s Thomas Carty.
A historic setting
For Taylor, the venue is almost as significant as the opponent.
After years of talk about bringing her to Croke Park, the 40-year-old finally gets the opportunity to finish her career in front of a huge home crowd.
Around 80,000 spectators are expected inside GAA headquarters, making it one of the biggest occasions of Taylor’s career and one of the largest boxing events ever staged in Ireland.
The significance of the night is heightened by Croke Park’s connection with boxing history, including Muhammad Ali’s famous appearance at the stadium in 1972.
Taylor now gets the chance to create her own chapter on the same ground.
Pili looking to spoil the party
Flora Pili arrives in Dublin without the profile of some of Taylor’s previous opponents, but her unbeaten record means she cannot be overlooked.
The Frenchwoman has remained undefeated through 12 professional bouts and won the IBO world super-lightweight title in her most recent contest.
She has openly embraced her underdog status and will attempt to produce the biggest victory of her career by ending Taylor’s farewell on a sour note.
For Taylor, however, the opportunity is about much more than another championship defence.
It is the final fight of a journey that began with her first amateur bout 25 years ago and went on to include Olympic gold, world titles and a historic professional career.
How to watch
RTÉ will show the fight live on television and the RTÉ Player, with coverage beginning from 8 pm.
DAZN will also provide live coverage internationally.
The main event is scheduled for approximately 10.08 pm, although that will depend on the length of the earlier contests.
After tonight, there will be no more Katie Taylor fight nights.
The final bell at Croke Park will mark the end of a career that has changed Irish boxing forever.
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