'I WILL FIGHT RONDA ROUSEY IN THE RING & CAGE' - KATIE TAYLOR (EXCLUSIVE) / QUESTIONS AJ v JAKE PAUL

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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Kugan Cassius (0:41)

This is Kugan Cassius for iFL TV. We're at the WBC Convention here in Thailand. Delighted to be joined by a very familiar face in Miss Katie Taylor. How are you?

Katie Taylor (0:51)

Yeah, I'm doing great, Kugan. Thank you so much. How are you?

Kugan Cassius (0:53)

I'm all good. Thailand's a bit full on, isn't it? It's like, everything's like, quite full on.

Katie Taylor (0:58)

Yeah, it is full on. We were just talking a few minutes ago about the jet lag. It's absolutely killing me. But I'm doing okay.

Kugan Cassius (1:06)

But there's some big names here. Obviously, yourself, Alexander Uzek, Roberto Duran's here, Devin Haley's here. So yeah, you're in good company.

Katie Taylor (1:15)

Absolutely. We're up on shoulders with the likes of Alexander Uzek. And I got a chance to actually have dinner with Roberto Duran last night. So one of my heroes. And just being surrounded by grain this whole week is absolutely phenomenal. This is also my first WBC convention. So it's been an amazing week.

Kugan Cassius (1:38)

Do you know what's funny is that you're saying that you're rubbing shoulders with them, but they're probably saying in different interviews, they're probably saying, oh, I was rubbing shoulders with Katie Taylor.

Katie Taylor (1:48)

I wouldn't say so.

Kugan Cassius (1:50)

I reckon they are, to be fair. What's happening with you? Can you give us a little summary of your current situation?

Katie Taylor (1:59)

Yeah, I'm just enjoying life. At the moment, I'm still training. I'm still ready to step back in the ring with whoever, at some stage next year. But right now, I'm just enjoying a bit of downtime as well. This is probably the first kind of break I've had in my whole career, both as an amateur and professional. So it is nice to have this time as well. But yeah, I still am in the gym. It just happened that it hasn't been as intense, which has been nice mentally for me and physically.

It's been nice just to relax and reflect on life and on my career also.

Kugan Cassius (2:35)

Right, before I start chucking names at you for clickbait, you say having a break for you is probably quite unusual over the years for you to have this kind of time out, etc. But do you get itchy knuckles or are you wanting to get back into camp? How does that work with you?

Katie Taylor (2:55)

Yeah, no, definitely. I think that the breaks has been actually very, very good for me. I feel like mentally fresh right now. The desire to actually step back during a fight is there. I'm loving life at the moment, but I'm also very, very excited to step back into the ring. And I think I'm going to be coming back with more heart, more desire for my sport. And I think this break has been badly needed.

Kugan Cassius (3:23)

Well, here we go. I'm going to chuck some names that you knew this was coming anyway. Let's start with Ronda Rousey. What is going on?

Katie Taylor (3:31)

Yes, that's a good question.

I've seen all the headlines, just like everybody else, but it's an interesting one. I don't know how that story came about, but I am very, very open to fights like that. It is an interesting fight. I mean, in terms of she's an iconic figure, and she has an interest in fighting me, I'm all for that.

Kugan Cassius (3:53)

All right, let me just pull you up on something you said. You don't know where it come about. Are you telling me that there's been no conversation between teams of team Rousey and team Taylor about a potential fight?

Katie Taylor (4:04)

No? As far as I know, there has been no conversation, so I really don't know where that story came from. I woke up one morning and seen all the headlines, and I'm like, where has this come from?

So, but people seem to be interested in it, and if that's a fight that she's interested in, I'm all for that. I'm very open to the idea of that.

Kugan Cassius (4:26)

She's a legend in her field, you're a legend in your field, so ultimately, whether it's rumors or not, that's something that is interesting to you.

Katie Taylor (4:34)

Yeah, I mean, like I said, she is an iconic figure in her own right. She was, I want to say, probably the best female athlete in the world. She's been on a break, obviously, for years, and she's not a natural boxer, I know. But if that is a fight that people are interested in, I'm all for it. I'm ready to step in with whoever really, and if Ronda Rousey is that fight, it must all be it.