Undisputed featherweight champion Amanda Serrano will return to mixed martial arts, she announced on Wednesday (2 July). Serrano defends her titles in a rematch with Heather Hardy on Saturday, on the undercard of Jake Paul’s boxing match with UFC icon Nate Diaz, and the Puerto Rican will then look ahead to an MMA bout. Serrano, 34, is 2-0-1 in MMA and last fought in 2021, and her next contest in the sport will take place in the Professional Fighters League (PFL). A date for that fight will be confirmed in due course, the promotion said. Serrano is promoted by YouTube star Paul, who has gone 6-1 as a professional boxer and also signed an MMA deal with the PFL this year. “I may be known for boxing, but I’ve always loved and trained in MMA and jiu-jitsu, knowing those skills would only add to my ability when going against any opponent,” Serrano said. “The League’s commitment to gender equality, providing equal opportunities and recognition of female fighters, is also a driving force behind my decision.” Serrano’s MMA debut in 2018 ended as a draw, with her second outing – the same year – going her way as she won by submission. Serrano also won her last fight, in June 2021, via submission. In her previous boxing match with Hardy, whom Serrano faces on Saturday, the Puerto Rican won via unanimous decision. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The hidden side of Jake Paul Conor Benn may face extra hurdle to fight, Eddie Hearn and British Boxing Board reveal

China has launched a spacecraft carrying a new three-person crew for its orbiting space station

Cher has shut down years of rumours surrounding a feud between her and fellow artist Madonna. In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, the 'Turn Back Time' singer was shown old footage of her calling Madonna "mean". In the 1991 clip, Steve Kmetko asked Cher what she thought of Madonna. At the time, she acknowledged that while there "are lots of things" she respected about Madonna, there was something about her that she didn't like. "She's mean, I don't like that," she said, before going on to explain a situation in which she was allegedly "rude to everybody" at her home. "It seems to me that she’s got so much that she doesn’t have to act the way that she acts, like a spoiled brat all the time," Cher continued. "It seems to me when you reach the kind of acclaim that she’s reached and can do whatever you wanna do, you should be a little more magnanimous and be a little less of a c***." Now, in one of her most recent interviews, Cher was asked whether she was aware that Madonna was using the old footage during her Celebration tour. "I said a lot worse than that," Cher responded, before clarifying there is no "beef" between the pair. "I actually like her. But come on," she added. CHER on MADONNA — Diva on Diva youtu.be When asked if "come on" meant that she stood by her 1991 statement that Madonna is "mean," Cher hit back: "She can be. We buried that hatchet a long time ago because I called her something so much worse, and she forgave me. But I give her this: There’s no one like her that had their ear to the ground and knew everything before anybody else. I mean, she knew what was coming, and she was right on it. She continued: "I always felt that was her greatest gift – that she could know the trends before any of us." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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