"I see my hand being raised at the end" - Ebanie Bridges talks tough ahead of return fight

Ebanie Bridges is now set to return to the ring on March 26th. The bout will be her second title shot. This time, she faces IBF Female Bantamweight Champion, Maria Cecilia Roman.

Despite 'Blonde Bomber' coming up short in her title bid last year against Shannon Courtenay, she remains confident in her chances at gaining gold. She also believes that she'll have a lot of potential challengers next with a win.

In an interview with SecondsOut, Bridges discussed her upcoming title shot. 'Blonde Bomber' noted that she's confident her hand will be raised.

She said:

"I see it being an exciting fight, I see my hand being raised at the end... I'll welcome anyone who wants to fight, if it makes sense for me and my business. I'm pretty sure when I win this world title, there will be a thousand hands up. There's going to be a long line, and realistically it's going to be what works best for me and my career. Not anyone else."

While Bridges is seemingly open to fighting anyone next, she didn't seem keen to fight her old rival Courtenay again.

"Yes, I'm still open to it. It would be better if she [Shannon Courtenay] had a belt, it would be more exciting for me. If she doesn't have a belt, she'll have to go to the end of the line with everyone else."

Watch Ebanie Bridges' full interview with SecondsOut below:

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Ebanie Bridges lost to Shannon Courtenay in her first title bid in 2021

Ebanie Bridges' unenthusiastic response about fighting Shannon Courtenay again doesn't come as a surprise. The two women had a heated feud heading into their first clash in April 2021.

'Blonde Bomber' took the fight on short notice after Rachel Ball pulled out of the bout. However, it didn't take long for the rivalry between the two to get brewing. Courtenay repeatedly took shots at her foe due to Bridges' past as a model.

That being said, 'Blonde Bomber' gave 'The Baby Face Assassin' all she could handle last April. The 35-year-old fought her heart out and proved that she was more than just a pretty face. However, Courtenay had won enough exchanges by the end of their 10 round contest to win the bout via unanimous decision.

The win saw her claim the WBA Female Bantamweight Title. She didn't hang on to that title for long, as she was stripped of it following a weight miss against Jamie Mitchell. To top it off, Courtenay went on to lose the bout via unanimous decision as well.

Despite their rivalry, don't expect Bridges and Courtenay to square off anytime soon if 'Blonde Bomber' captures gold next month.