Ellie Scotney prevailed in a thunderous 10-round battle with Mayelli Flores to become the undisputed super-bantamweight world champion.
Winning by unanimous decision, she unified Flores’ WBA 122lbs belt with the WBO, WBC and IBF world championships she already held. That earned her a place in British boxing history.
Scotney is the UK’s youngest undisputed world champion, male or female, in the four-belt era.
But Flores had an eye on making her own history. She was battling to become the first Mexican woman to win the undisputed championship and would not let up for an instant.
Two of the judges scored it overly generously for Scotney, 100-90 twice, and the third marked it 96-94 in her favour. It was though an unrelentingly intense battle with no breathing room for Scotney.
Flores charges into Scotney (Photos: Most Valuable Promotions)
A devout Christian, Scotney had been to church on the morning of Easter Sunday before fighting for her place in British boxing legend in the evening.
There was no peace in the ring and precious little calm.
Flores is a short, broad fighter and she went on the all-out attack from the very first bell. In a frantic opening round the Mexican forced her way on to the front foot. The Catford fighter struggled to find space to work and early on Flores rocked her with a right.
Scotney had to find a way to control the chaos. She did score through a lead uppercut. But Flores worked harder still and punched home further head shots. However before the second round ended Scotney landed a great left hook and a smashing right to the chin.
Flores bobbed her head and body low, but Scotney waited and her left hook lanced across.
Scotney’s right hook smacked in to carve out some space for herself and she tested Flores’ chin with a right.
Scotney had to give everything to win.
Flores bellowed in the midst of their battle and kept up her onslaught. In flashes Scotney could show her technical skill, landing tremendous shots.
But the fight became a breathless battle of heart and will. One would strike the other back, before the other lashed away with their own shots.
Flores marched in, looking to break Scotney down. Her output didn’t lessen any in the ninth round as she crowded Scotney. The Londoner though ripped in her right uppercut, and a backhand hook tore through too.
That tidier work proved the difference. She hacked her right hook down in the last round and repeated the shot. Flores poured in every ounce of energy she had left, but again Scotney found big hooks and hammered them in.
She celebrated rapturously and deservedly. It’s to imagine 2026 seeing a better fight.
“I had to go through so many tests just to get in this ring today and only God brought me through,” Scotney told Sky Sports.
“I can’t tell you how much of a hard fight that was. The scorecards didn’t do [Flores] justice.
“She was a real champion. That was my hardest test and I knew it was going to be. I gave everything tonight.”
Watch Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper live on Sky Sports
Leave a Reply