CLEVELAND – Amanda Serrano’s preference still is to fully unify women’s boxing’s featherweight titles before she moves back up two weight classes to fight Katie Taylor.

The Puerto Rican southpaw would like to be the undisputed 126-pound champion prior to re-arranging a showdown with the undisputed 135-pound champ. Serrano’s handlers have had trouble, though, luring the other two recognized featherweight champs – Erika Cruz (WBA) and Sarah Mahfoud (IBF) – into unification fights, which could continue to complicate Serrano’s plan.

Brooklyn’s Serrano, 32, also wants to be paid appropriately for a high-profile fight with Taylor that would match two of women’s boxing’s best, pound-for-pound.

“I mean, we definitely want that fight,” Serrano stated during a post-fight press conference early Monday morning, after her thorough points victory versus Yamileth Mercado. “I definitely wanna fight Katie Taylor. She’s arguably the number one, two. We both – between Claressa Shields, me and Katie [are] top three. I definitely want the fight. And we’re hoping if I become undisputed champion, then that fight can come along. I want it to be undisputed champion versus undisputed champion. But um, I don’t know what’s happening now, so we’ve just gotta go back and just figure it out.”

Serrano (41-1-1, 30 KOs), who has won world titles in seven divisions, out-classed Mexico’s Mercado (18-3, 5 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature on the Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley undercard Sunday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Serrano has won 27 straight fights since suffering her lone loss – a 10-round unanimous decision to Frida Wallberg in April 2012.

Ireland’s Taylor (18-0, 6 KOs) is scheduled to defend her IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO lightweight titles against American Jennifer Han (18-3-1, 1 KO) on Saturday night at Headingley Rugby League Stadium in Leeds, England (DAZN). Taylor is a 30-1 favorite, according to the William Hill sports book.

Assuming Taylor wins, Serrano wants to explore the possibility of battling Taylor again.

“I mean, I’m open to fight anybody,” Serrano said. “But it’s up to my team, what they feel is right. I definitely wanna fight her, but we just have to find out what they want. … All she has to do is continue to win and I continue to win and then that fight, it’s gonna happen.”

Their 10-round, 135-pound championship clash was supposed to happen in August 2020, following multiple postponements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Serrano ultimately walked away from that bout and what would’ve been by far her highest payday because she considered her purse too low for an event of that magnitude.

Serrano reiterated that she wants to prove herself against the 35-year-old Taylor, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, but only if she deems her purse acceptable.

“Well, the right payday,” Serrano said. “You know, I’ve done everything I have to do. I’m fighting good fights, top 10 girls. I’m beating them. I’m doing what I have to do to continue to keep my name out there. And it’s just up to the promoters. I mean, let’s see – and the money. I wanna get paid what I deserve.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.