Stephanie Han has no shortage of options after successfully
defending her WBA lightweight title via a seven-round technical unanimous decision over Holly Holm on Saturday at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
If Han has her way, though, handling some family business could be the path she takes next.
She said she’s open to a rematch with Holm or unification bouts, but added that she’d love to face unified 140-pound champion
Katie Taylor to avenge her sister’s loss.
“I would love to fight Katie Taylor,” Han said during her post-fight media scrum. “Katie Taylor beat my sister, Jennifer Han, and I would love to avenge my sister’s loss, absolutely. Katie Taylor, please, let’s go. You beat my sister; it’s my time. Let’s go.”
Jennifer Han lost a one-sided unanimous decision to Taylor (25-1, 6 KOs) in 2021.
Stephanie Han (12-0, 3 KOs) thoroughly outboxed Holm before an accidental clash of heads late in the seventh opened a cut along the champion's hairline. Blood immediately began to flow down the left side of her face, and referee Luis Pabon quickly halted the action to allow the ringside doctor to examine the cut. Not long after looking at the gash, he advised that the fight be stopped.
“I feel like I was definitely more technical and more skilled than her, and was landing the better combinations than her,” Han said. “I would love a rematch with Holly. I'm from Texas, she's from New Mexico. I would love to have it in my city or her city, because I know that my people show up.”
Han, 35, won 69-65, 69-64 and 68-65. Her ability to navigate range and counter Holm (34-3-3, 9 KOs) allowed her to control the bout, as she outlanded the 2022 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee 87-29. The win also thwarted the 44-year-old former UFC bantamweight champion’s attempt to become the first fighter to win a world title after already being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"You have no idea how much I've looked up to her," Han said of Holm. "To win against her, it's probably one of the biggest highlights of my life."
Han also said she’d be more than open to unification bouts against WBO champion
Terri Harper or WBC champion
Caroline Dubois. With Dubois (12-0-1, 5 KOs) and Harper (16-2-2, 6 KOs) also being promoted by Most Valuable Promotions, like Han, one figures unification bouts should be easy to make.
For now, though, Han’s focus turns toward returning to her job as a police officer.
“I go back to work on Monday, and I’m flying in like five hours,” she said. “I have to be back at work on Monday.”