An ‘absolutely gutted’ Ebanie Bridges has vowed to ‘be back better and stronger’ after losing her world title in shocking style in San Francisco.
Bridges, 37, was dominated by Miyo Yoshida on Saturday night, with many writing the Japanese underdog off after she stepped in on short notice to replace Avril Mathie.
‘This was supposed to be an exhibition fight for Ebanie Bridges in the United States,’ DAZN’s expert on commentary said.
Instead, Bridges returns to her UK base without her IBF belt in a devastating result for the Australian.
And after losing only her second professional bout, Bridges took to X to send an emotional message to Yoshida and her fans.
‘Absolutely gutted, it wasn’t my night. Big congrats to my opponent, she was the better fighter tonight,’ Bridges wrote.
‘Beautiful & humble, single mother. Seeing how much that win meant to her & her daughter did give me some warmth inside.
‘A loss doesn’t define me. I have no quit, it’s all learning and I’ll be back better & stronger. Thank you to everyone who supports me. I love you all.’
Bridges will have to go back to the drawing board with coach Dave Coldwell after plenty of her weaknesses were exposed by Yoshida.
Bridges struggled to get going during the bout, with the Japanese fighter’s right hand finding the mark throughout the fight.
Punch statistics afterwards showed that Yoshida landed 122 power shots to the Blonde Bombers’ 66.
There was some controversy in the bout, with Yoshida landing a late shot following the bell in the fifth round. It seemed to do little to change the outcome, however.
The shock defeat now ends the former Sydney maths teacher’s 21-month reign at the top of the IBF bantamweight division.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
