EVERYTHING You Need To Know About Katie Taylor’s Opponent, Anahi Sanchez

Anthony Joshua’s plans for Saturday’s superb fight-night may not have gone according to plan – injury to original opponent Kubrat Pulev meaning the world heavyweight champion now faces Carlos Takam – but for our golden girl Katie Taylor, everything is shaping up rather nicely.

The Bray boxer will challenge for a world title in just her seventh professional outing, taking her place on a Principality Stadium card that’s guaranteed to pack a punch. Also on the bill is a titanic heavyweight clash between Dillian Whyte and Robert Helenius, as well as WBA super-flyweight king Kai Yafai taking on unbeaten challenger Sho Ishida – two bouts that could well steal the show.

Needless to say, however, Irish eyes will be firmly locked on Taylor’s quest to add the WBA Lightweight title to her already unwieldy trophy cabinet – and, consequently, on the fighter currently in possession of the belt. Anahi Esther Sanchez will be the woman standing in Katie’s way in Cardiff; to help you sound like an expert when the bell rings, we’ve prepared the ultimate guide to the Argentinian athlete!

-          Anahi Esther Sanchez arrives with a record of 17 wins and two defeats; nine of her wins have come by way of knockout.

-          The 26-year-old orthodox puncher, known as La Indiecita, is a two-weight world champion, having previously owned the WBA Featherweight crown; she also briefly held the IBF belt in her current division.

-          She claimed her latest strap last month – in a fight contested at such close quarters it could have been held in an average-sized family hatchback – by stopping compatriot Cecilia Sofia Mena in the sixth round.

-          Her record in title fights is patchy. Both of her previous championships were vacated – and she’s lost almost as many title fights as she’s won.

-          She’s not exactly a globetrotter – more than half her scraps have taken place in her home city of Pergamino. Indeed, her only two fights outside of Argentina account for her two defeats; a failed effort against WBC champ Eva Wahlstrom, and a stoppage loss to IBF queen Maiva Hamadouche.

To say she’s the underdog is putting it lightly; most bookies have her chances of glory in the region of 10/1; Taylor is as low as 1/50.