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Persoon blames Taylor headbutt for broken nose, deserved draw at least

Six days ago, Delfine Persoon claimed to respect the result of her rematch with Katie Taylor. The Be...


Persoon blames Taylor headbutt...

Sport

Persoon blames Taylor headbutt for broken nose, deserved draw at least


Six days ago, Delfine Persoon claimed to respect the result of her rematch with Katie Taylor. The Belgian has changed her mind. 

Taylor retained her undisputed lightweight crown with a unanimous decision victory over the police officer on the final night of Fight Camp.

Persoon's post-match interview seemed to put out a fire that was smouldering online, with some suggesting she deserved a draw or more from their rematch.

She had taken issue with the majority decision in New York that saw Taylor add the WBC belt to her collection, but told Sky Sports in Eddie Hearn's garden, "This time I respect the result."

A review of the fight seems to have altered Persoon's view.

She claims the broken nose sustained early in the fight ultimately cost her. "Result of a headbutt. That really hindered me from boxing the way I wanted it to," she told Nieuwsblad.

"That break was very frustrating, also because the ref came to tell me it came from a punch.

"But in the lightweights I haven’t seen a woman punch anyone that hard. That was after a headbutt. The ref wanted to cover himself with that, the power against the normal."

A missed headbutt, a broken nose, and some questionable judging is Persoon's summary of her night in Essex.

"Immediately after the last bell Filiep [Tampere, coach] said that I probably lost, so I said the fight too.

"Only now we have revisited the fight a few times and each time came to the conclusion that I certainly didn't losel.

"A draw would have been okay, but we always had a point of difference in our favour."

Persoon says she will take a few months off, before trying again at super-featherweight level.



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Boxing Delfine Persoon Katie Taylor

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