Belfast referee David Irving will take charge of Katie Taylor's world title fight against unbeaten Frenchwoman Flora Pili at Croke Park on Saturday, a bout billed as the final professional fight of Taylor's career and one of the biggest events in Irish boxing history. Irving described the assignment as the realisation of a long-held ambition, having hoped to referee a WBC world title fight in his home country before retirement, and called it "right up there" with any of his previous appointments in over 30 years as a referee.

Taylor, 40, has won 25 of her 27 professional fights, avenging her sole defeat against Chantelle Cameron, and will defend her light-welterweight WBO, WBA and IBF titles while also contesting the vacant WBC belt against the 12-0 Pili in front of a crowd of 80,000. Irving, a former amateur and professional boxer from Holy Trinity in west Belfast who has refereed internationally since 2014, said his preparation includes ensuring he has his uniform, scorecard and hydration ready for a contest that could run the full ten rounds, adding that experience helps him handle the unpredictability referees must be ready for.