Katie Taylor stops Rose Volante in unification clash

Katie Taylor secured a superb ninth-round stoppage victory over Rose Volante to add the WBO lightweight belt to her WBA and IBF titles in Philadelphia on Friday night.

Taylor became the first Irish fighter to win three of the four major world titles in the modern era after handing Volante the first defeat of her professional career.

The victory puts Taylor in line for an undisputed unification showdown against WBC champion Delfine Persoon, on the Anthony Joshua-Jarrell Miller undercard on June 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Volante came out with all guns blazing in the opening round but Taylor responded by flooring her rival with a short right hand.

The Brazilian started the second round in the same manner as the first and landed a looping right hand in the opening minute, but Taylor shrugged off the shot and managed to mark Volante on her right cheek.

Taylor began to use her footwork in the third, moving in and out of range, landing her shots and staying out of danger, while in the fourth the Bray warrior began to string together combinations.

"Now we can start talking about that fight, Persoon. That name’s been coming up over the last two years. I’ve got the three belts, she’s got the WBC belt, so we have to get that fight on next.”

In the fifth, Taylor worked the body before switching to the head and Volante began to wilt.

A hard right snapped Volante's head back at the start of the sixth round and bloodied her nose but the 36-year-old, who had secured eight of her 14 wins by knockout, continued to look to land her favoured right hand.

Taylor took a breather in the seventh before charging out in the eighth, unleashing five, six, seven punch combinations to the delight of the Irish fans present.

The 32-year-old double champion started the ninth, boxing in the pocket, unleashing combinations and after an accidental clash of heads the referee took a look at Volante's suspected broken nose and called a halt.