Flora Pili

Bio

Flora Pili is the unbeaten French super lightweight who has fought her way to the front of the queue at 140lbs — and earned the biggest night any challenger in the division could dream of. The 28-year-old is the mandatory for the IBF super lightweight title and the leading contender for the vacant WBC belt, which is exactly why she finds herself opposite Katie Taylor at Croke Park.

Make no mistake, you don't reach mandatory status by accident. Pili is a sharp, busy, technically sound operator who has quietly racked up a perfect record without the fanfare that follows bigger names. She is not a big puncher, but she is disciplined, she throws in volume, and she carries the confidence of someone who genuinely believes her best is still in front of her.

The opportunity is enormous and the danger is obvious. On September 5 she walks out in front of 80,000 people in Dublin to face the greatest figure in the history of women's boxing in her own backyard. Beat Katie Taylor on that stage and Pili doesn't just win belts — she announces herself as the new face of the division overnight.

It is the definition of a career-defining fight. Pili goes in as the underdog and she knows it, but a young, fresh, unbeaten challenger against a legend on an emotional farewell night is exactly the kind of banana skin that has tripped up greats before. If you know, you know — this is a live one.