‘I can fight’: Ebanie Bridges wins IBF bantamweight title in stunning victory

Ebanie Bridges has delivered an emphatic message to all the doubters, becoming a new boxing world champion in a stunning result.

Ebanie Bridges is not just a pretty face. Photo: Fox Sports

Aussie boxing bombshell Ebanie Bridges is the champion of the world.

Facing off against Argentinian Maria Cecilia Roman, the 35-year-old maths teacher from Sydney claimed a 100-91, 97-93x2 victory to bring home the IBF women’s bantamweight title.

The 39-year-old Roman had held the belt since 2017 and it was her sixth defence of the belt but the Aussie’s crazy workrate earned her the world title.

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Bridges started strongly, throwing plenty of shots and being easily the most active of the two, a tactic she continued as she kept fighting on the inside and throwing mountains of punches.

But in the fourth round, Roman started to hit back, landing some strong hooks.

However, boxing expert Mark Ortega tweeted that Bridges was doing exactly what she needed to do.

“Ebanie Bridges is a smart fighter because she knows what her limitations are and minimises them while also leaning heavy on her strengths. She’s a strong fighter with an unmatchable will, so making it an inside battle is always going to be to her benefit,” he wrote.

Irish boxer Gary O’Sullivan said: “Roman looking to exhaust Bridges and take her out later I think”.

However, after five rounds, Bridges looked set to head for a world title, having easily outworked Roman.

Ebanie Bridges is world champion. Photo: Fox Sports

Former world champion and the only person to defeat Bridges in her pro career so far Shannon Courtenay had Bridges winning five of five rounds to start the fight, while the commentators were blown away by the improvement from the Blonde Bomber.

But as the fight drew on further, Roman came home strong as the Aussie tired in the later rounds, making it much closer.

It looked like Roman may have closed the gap somewhat but the judges ruled that it was a dominant result for the Aussie.

Speaking after the result, Bridges was thrilled with the result.

“I feel proud of myself, and I feel extremely happy because it means everything I've sacrificed and all the work I've put in and everything that I’ve done and everything I’ve done that’s got me to this point,” she said after the fight. “This belt represents all the heartbreak, all the sacrifice, all the training, that’s what this belt represents for me.”

Bridges said she hoped she entertained the crowd and said Roman “brought it”.

Promoter Eddie Hearn praised the Aussie star.

“There are a lot of people who felt that when Ebanie Bridges came into the sport, it was just a gimmick, it was about driving followers and attention,” he began. “But there's a method to the madness.

“What people haven’t seen is the dedication over the last couple of years, particularly moving to the UK.

“And tonight, she didn’t get an easy world title, she didn’t get a vacant world title, she beat the longest reigning champion in the division and one of the best fighter in the division, so she deserves that tonight.”

The magic moment Ebanie Bridges became world champion. Photo: Twitter / @MatchroomBoxing

And Bridges had a statement for those who criticised her.

“Can I f**king fight or what? F**k you guys who think I can’t fight because I can f**king fight, I can box and I can look hot on the scales,” she said to cheers from the Leeds crowd.

“Hopefully I proved a lot of doubters.”

EBANIE BRIDGES IS A WORLD CHAMPION!! @EbanieBridges#RomanBridges#MartinezWarrington2

— Ben Damon (@ben_damon) March 26, 2022

Bridges put in the work. Deserved the win. 🥊

— John Buffone (@JDBuffone) March 26, 2022

Before the fight, Courtenay tipped Bridges to win.

“She has a tremendous work rate on her and Cecilia Roman’s coming to the end of her career and slowed down a lot,” she said.

“I know one thing, it’s going to be a great fight, it’s going to be an out and out war.”

Courtenay said she would fight Bridges again, saying “it was always going to be a fight that would happen again because it was so good”.

She added that she wants to win her world title back and then have a unification clash with the Aussie. It was something Bridges agreed with and said she’d need a belt to interest her.

Courtenay delivered the only loss of Bridges’ career. But the result saw the Sydney math teacher jump onto the world stage after a much closer than expected fight as Bridges made a name for herself in a massive jump from mainly Sydney based promotions to a world title shot.

She has since made a name for herself in her weigh ins, where she strips down to lingerie.

The Blonde Bomber, Ebanie Bridges.

Bridges has long poked fun at Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn who has been seen averting his eyes in the past.

On the weigh in before her fight with Roman, Bridges handed Hearn a pair of sunglasses with a cheeky smile.

The lingerie has been controversial for Bridges in the eyes of boxing purists, but it’s a criticism Bridges shrugs off.

“I’m not using sex to sell, I’m just using myself, and if I’m sexy then f**k it,” she told The I.

“It’s OK to be a woman in boxing, we don’t have to be masculine.

“It’s great to see the girls now wearing make-up and dressing up. I’m breaking down the stereotypes of female boxing.”

Originally published as ‘I can fight’: Ebanie Bridges wins IBF bantamweight title in stunning victory