Australian boxer Ebanie Bridges is set for a remarkable return to the ring this Saturday night, a mere 10 months after giving birth to her son. The 39-year-old, known as the 'Blonde Bomber', sees this fight as the crucial first step in her ambitious quest to become the undisputed world bantamweight champion.
A Rapid Turnaround Post-Pregnancy
Bridges will make her debut under the banner of Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her opponent in the bantamweight clash will be Alexis Araiza. This marks a swift return to professional sport for Bridges, who welcomed her baby boy, Ezerra Ray, in March with her partner, former British world champion Kell Brook.
The fighter has been absent from competitive action since December 2023, when she lost her IBF female bantamweight title to Miyo Yoshida. During her time away, she maintained her public profile through content on her OnlyFans page. Bridges has been candid about this income stream, once stating: 'Thank f*** for OnlyFans, otherwise I'd be working at f***ing McDonald's or something in order to support myself.'
New Motivation and Unfinished Business
Now, with boxing revenue back on the table, Bridges is fuelled by a fresh source of inspiration. 'I'm excited to be getting back in the ring after some time out and even more excited to have my gorgeous son ringside,' she said. 'He's a whole new level of motivation for me.'
She promised fans an entertaining spectacle, aligning her aggressive style with the spirit of Puerto Rico. 'Puerto Ricans are known for their heart, pride, and aggression, and those qualities are in my fundamentals. I think they're going to love the Blonde Bomber,' she added.
Her bout with Araiza serves as the undercard for Amanda Serrano's defence of her WBA and WBO featherweight titles against Reina Tellez. Serrano's originally scheduled rematch with Erika Cruz was cancelled due to an atypical finding in a pre-fight drug test.
Eyes on the Undisputed Prize
Despite the immediate challenge, Bridges has a much larger target in sight. Her long-term goal is a showdown with the current undisputed female bantamweight champion, 'Sugar' Nina Neekz Hughes.
'She's got all the belts,' Bridges told Fox Sports Australia. 'She's also a good friend of mine... and I'm super proud of what she's done and achieved. She's very deserving of it. But she's got the bullseye on her back because she's the undisputed champion.'
Bridges believes a potential fight with Hughes would be a historic event for Australian boxing, even surpassing her previous domestic blockbuster against Shannon O’Connell. In her typically bold fashion, she predicted such an event would have a seismic impact, declaring: 'Our weigh-ins combined would break the internet.'
