Aussie star Ebanie Bridges disfigured after brave loss to Shannon Courtenay

Aussie boxing star Ebanie Bridges has been left with a sickening injury after showing raw courage in a bonkers world title fight.

Aussie boxing star Ebanie Bridges has been left disfigured with a sickening haematoma injury after a courageous performance in her world title defeat against rival Shannon Courtenay.

Bridges was brave in swinging right to the end of the 10-round firefight, leaving the boxing world in awe, but it wasn’t enough for her to take the vacant WBA Bantamweight crown.

Bridges was a genuine threat in causing a massive upset after a dominant seventh round where she landed a series of heavy shots.

However, she was made to pay the price after Courtenay landed the biggest punch of the entire fight in the fifth round, which caused immediate swelling above Bridges’ eye.

By the time the Sydney school teacher walked out for the start of the eighth round, her eye was beginning to close up.

Ebanie Bridges took some heavy shots. Photo: Kayo.

She told her corner at the end of the round that she couldn’t see out the eye — and her courage couldn’t save her from a ninth round beating that left her eating shot after shot.

Commentators said during the live broadcast Bridges wouldn’t have been able to see the punches coming in the 10th round. Still, she refused throw the towel in.

Her corner controversially allowed her to return for the 10th and final round, despite concern it was unsafe for her to finish the fight with the gruesome eye injury.

Bridges kept throwing shots right to the end — and proved she is in every way a legitimate world title contender.

Ebanie Bridges' eye closed up. Photo: DAZN.

She also won favour with some of the judges, before the fight was awarded to Courtenay via a unanimous decision (97-94, 98-92 x2).

Despite Bridges and Courtenay trading bitter verbal barbs for weeks leading into the fight, there was immense respect between the pair at the end of the fight. They embraced in the ring and showed warm sportsmanship when the judges’ scorecards were announced.

It was the clear stand-out fight on the undercard of the Conor Benn vs Samuel Vargas fight night in the UK.

Ebanie Bridges shows off at the weigh-in. Photo: Matchroom Boxing.

Ebanie Bridges is unapologetic about showing off her good looks.

If crowds had been allowed in to watch the spectacle, they would likely have been on their feet by the time the bell rang at the end of the final round.

“Big respect to Ebanie Bridges,” Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn said after the fight. “Tough, tough, terrible eye injury.

“Great advert for women’s boxing because we know it’s had a massive build-up — probably the biggest build-up I’ve been involved with in a female fight — but if it doesn’t deliver, it’s no good for anyone. And it was brilliant from start to finish.”

It is Bridges’ first career defeat.

She might have lost the fight, but she won the pre-fight battles.

She left Courtenay fuming when she stole the show at the weigh-ins on Saturday morning, stepping onto the scales in black lingerie.

If that wasn’t enough to infuriate Courtenay, Bridges delivered another cheeky slap in the face by gifting her a pair of her own father’s underwear.

The “cute” offer was a direct shot at Courtenay’s refusal to wear the same racy outfits Bridges has made her trademark.

Bridges, who has two degrees and works as a school maths teacher, insists she’s all about female empowerment.

“Let’s be real. If I wore what everyone else wore, people wouldn’t be interested. I’d just be another fight. Whatever,” the Blonde Bomber told Sky Sports.

“I’m trying to bring more eyes to the sport. You can criticise me as much as you like. But if I looked plain then you wouldn’t even know this fight was happening.

“People will tune in to see if this girl wearing lingerie can actually fight, or is she just a model? The thing is; me and Shannon can really fight.”

Her performance in the ring has shown that to the world.