What can’t she do? AFL Women’s star Tayla Harris brutally knocks out her opponent to become Australian middleweight champion – and now she wants to chase bigger fights
- AFLW star Tayla Harris shown off her boxing skills in a title fight on Friday night
- Knocking her opponent out after two rounds, she won Female Middleweight Title
- Footage shows Harris knocking out her opponent before celebrating the win
- The 22-year-old is climbing world rankings and is on a two-fight knockout streak
AFL Women’s star Tayla Harris has shown off her boxing skills and won the Australian Female Middleweight Title after a second round knockout.
The fight was held at the Melbourne Pavilion on Friday night and was scheduled to last eight rounds.
However, 22-year-old Harris outmatched kickboxing star Margarite Butcher, knocking her out in just two rounds.
AFL Women’s star Tayla Harris has shown off her boxing skills and won the Australian Female Middleweight Title after a second round knockout against her opponent
Harris said she was determined to make a statement during the fight on Friday night
The Muay Thai fighter managed to land some punches of her own seconds before Harris finished the job off with a knockdown, forcing the referee to end the fight.
Footage of the fight shows Harris knocking out her opponent before celebrating her win by jumping and cheering in the ring.
Following the win, Harris said she is now looking for the opportunity to compete in bigger fights against internationally ranked opponents.
Wide World of Sports reported that she is eager to speak to her team about chasing the bigger fights.
In addition to her performance on the football field, Harris is an undefeated professional boxer with six wins and one draw under her belt.
The 22-year-old is quickly climbing the world rankings, is on a two fight knockout streak, and ranked number seven in the World Boxing Association’s female middleweight division.
Harris said she was determined to make a statement during the fight on Friday night.
‘I’ve been working a lot on power and trying to make a statement in boxing in Australia,’ she told GQ ahead of the fight.
‘I’ve done all the training that I possibly could have in preparation for this fight, so I’m not nervous, I’m not worried or anything like that.’
The fight was held at the Melbourne Pavilion on Friday night and was scheduled to last eight rounds
‘I’ll try my best to make a statement and whether that means a knockout or just a really clinical fight, that’s what I’ll aim to do.’
The pair have faced each other in the ring three times with Harris coming out on top. but Butcher spent the last year training in Thailand.
Meanwhile, Harris gained momentum following her response to online trolls after an image of her famous airborne kick was targeted online.
The image of Harris, captured in a match against the Western Bulldogs, garnered so many offensive comments on social media that 7AFL removed its post in January.
Online trolls made sexist comments and sparked an online debate about female sports competitors being subjected to such treatment.
Just last month, a bronze statue of the famous kick was unveiled in Melbourne’s Federation Square.
Harris gained momentum following her response to online trolls after an image of her famous airborne kick was targeted online
Football star Tayla Harris’s famous airborne kick has been immortalised with a bronze statue unveiled in Melbourne