Ebanie Bridges made sure she didn't fail in her second world title attempt. She outpointed long-reigning champion, Maria Cecilia Roman, for the IBF Bantamweight Championship. Although Roman tried her best to defend the title, Bridges’ dominant showdown in the early stages of the fight fetched her the victory.
Now a world champion, ‘The Blonde Bomber’ connected with Boxing UK after the fight. After sharing her love for the fans, Bridges lashed out at her doubters and critics:
“Hey f*** you to the critics and f*** you to the doubters."
Catch Bridges' comments here:
Bridges’ title victory could lead her to a unification fight, which may see her face Shannon Courtenay's last opponent Jamie Mitchell. In her scrap against Shannon Courtenay in April 2021, we saw Courtenay defend her WBO Bantamweight Title successfully in the only loss in 'The Blonde Bomber’s career so far.
While Ebanie Bridges was a challenger to Shannon Courtenay's championship status back then, the tables have turned drastically. Courtenay lost her belt to Jamie Mitchell and Bridges can now slide into the unification tale immediately, pulling Courtenay out from an immediate title bout.
Watch ‘The Blonde Bomber’ in action below:
Ideally, Bridges would defend her belt before marching towards a unification fight. The bantamweight division is stacked right now and will demand a lot more from the Australian boxer.
Ebanie Bridges vs. Maria Cecila Roman proved to be a barnburner
Both women came in swinging but Bridges got hold of the then-champion eventually. She landed big shots and looked very comfortable throughout. However, the fight was destined to be a full-length 10-round contest and Cecila showed her caliber in the final rounds. She had her moments in round four too but Ebanie Bridges was quick to get back on top.
Both women left it all inside the ring. As the new champion, the upcoming ride will not only be tough but even more lucrative for ‘The Blonde Bomber’.