Aussie boxer Ebanie Bridges wins world championship

Aussie boxer Ebanie Bridges wins world championship in thrilling fight – after revealing she once had to sell her dirty socks to ‘foot fetishists’ to make quick money

Aussie boxer Ebanie Bridges has won the IBF bantamweight title at her second attempt after beating Argentina’s Maria Cecilia Roman on points.

Bridges, ‘The Blonde Bomber’, won a thrilling contest with all three judges scoring in her favour  – 100-91, 97-93, 97-93 – after she refused to take a backward step during 10 thrilling rounds in Leeds.

It was Roman’s seventh defence of the belt and Bridges – a former bodybuilder who also works as a schoolteacher in Sydney – outworked her in the early rounds to open up a lead on points that the Argentinean couldn’t overcome.

Bridges showed huge improvement to overcome Maria Cecilia Roman, opening up an early points lead and hanging on despite flagging in the later rounds

After the win, Bridges slammed critics who believed she was all glamour and no talent, telling them, 'F*** you guys who think I can't fight, because I can f***ing fight'

After the win, Bridges slammed critics who believed she was all glamour and no talent, telling them, ‘F*** you guys who think I can’t fight, because I can f***ing fight’

Roman started opening up at the end of the third round and did her best work in the fifth, but Bridges – who had former world cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli in her corner – refused to be stopped.

She looked spent in the 10th and final round, but dug deep to win the round and get the clear-cut unanimous decision.

The performance was a big step up from her first attempt to win the belt, which saw her fall to a unanimous defeat to Shannon Courtenay last March. 

The toe-to-toe action suited the maths teacher, who said ‘I love that kind of fight’ after the referee had raised her hand.

‘They’re the fights that, I know they’re not the fight’s you’re supposed to really have, but I love those kind of fights. They’re entertaining for the fans.’ 

The 35-year-old also took a very colourful shot at her critics.

‘Firstly, can I just say, can I f***ing fight or what?’ she told the 12,000-strong crowd.

‘F*** you guys who think I can’t fight, because I can f***ing fight. I can box, I can fight and I can look hot on the scales.’

Bridges, a former bodybuilder, is well known for her glamorous looks - but she proved she's got the heart of a champion in Leeds on Sunday

Bridges, a former bodybuilder, is well known for her glamorous looks – but she proved she’s got the heart of a champion in Leeds on Sunday

The Sydney-based maths teacher revealed she has sold her dirty training socks for up to $1,000 a pair to British fans with 'foot fetishes' in order to make some quick money

The Sydney-based maths teacher revealed she has sold her dirty training socks for up to $1,000 a pair to British fans with ‘foot fetishes’ in order to make some quick money

The Aussie was referring to the perception that she’s all glamour and no talent, which crops up just about every time she gets on the scales at weigh-ins.

When she weighed in for the bout against Roman, she gave promoter Eddie Hearn a pair of sunglasses after he refused to look at her as she posed clad in skimpy underwear. 

Bridges also hit out at Instagram in January after the social media platform removed an image of her wearing nothing but a G-string and a pair of boxing gloves.

She has also revealed she was selling pairs of her dirty socks to British fans with ‘foot fetishes’ for as much as $1000 a pair when she needed some quick money.

‘Who needs #OnlyFans when you have dirty socks,’ she joked.

Hearn was full of praise for Bridges after the bout.

‘There’s a lot of people who felt that when Ebanie Bridges came into this sport it was just a gimmick,’ he said.

‘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.’ 

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