Ebanie Bridges 'f***ing important' confession as she admits 'it's make or break'

Ebanie Bridges admitted she cried her eyes out after losing her comeback fight with Alexis Araiza Mones in January - now the former world champion knows every time she step into the ring it's "make or break".

The loss on points was the first time in more than two years that the Blonde Bomber had walked down the ramp for a competitive bout. Having taken time away from the ring to heal from injuries and to start a family with British boxing legend Kell Brook, the 39-year-old was candid afterwards in accepting she hadn't been able to produce her usual standard of performance.

After having her dream comeback shattered, the Aussie fan favourite was desperate to chalk up a win in the victory column. She soon had her chance when a deal was struck with glam Brit fighter Ebonie Cotton for a date in April. Bridges admitted to Daily Star Sport she wasn't at her very best against Cotton - and had to settle for a decision - but she got the win she so desperately wanted, as she works to recover her peak level.

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"It was very f***ing important, very important," she said, when asked about earning a win. "That fight was make or break for me. Obviously, I'm coming back after having a baby. It was a hard fight.

I probably came back too soon, but I've never shied away from a challenge. Unfortunately, the previous fight didn't go my way, and I couldn't risk another loss.

Ever the perfectionist, however, ex-IBF female bantamweight world champion Bridges wasn't too happy with not managing to stop her opponent.

In the past she has been known for her aggressive, front foot style, in which she relentlessly wears down rivals. Bridges said: "I was frustrated with my performance because I thought I should have done more.

"I'm used to being aggressive. But what I've learned with Dominic Ingle [her new trainer and the former coach of world champions Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson and Junior Witter] is that, at my age now, it's about fighting smarter, not harder.

"If I can sit there, make someone miss and not get hit, that's smart boxing. When I watched the fight back, I thought, 'yeah, that was good'. It was one of the first fights where I didn't even feel like I'd been in a fight afterwards."

The win has helped the adopted Brit, who lives and trains in Yorkshire, to get her fighting career back on track. Speaking earlier this year, Bridges was candid about her preparation for her comeback, admitting she had "only just started strength and conditioning like five weeks before the fight".

And the new mum now knows every fight is a must-win: "At my age and stage of my career, I need to win. I've still got goals. I still want world title fights."

I don't have that much time left in my career. Every fight is important because when you lose, you get set back. When you're younger, you've got time to rebuild.

There is one dream that keeps her going above all else. When Bridges last conquered the boxing world, she wasnt a mother - and she wants her son Ezerra to be in the ring with her when she lifts a world title for a second time.

It was back in 2022 when Bridges bested Mara Cecilia Romn via unanimous decision to claim the IBF female bantamweight title. Her reign, however, wasnt too long, retaining against Shannon OConnell, before dropping the belt to Miyo Yoshida in a stunning upset in December 2023.

Yoshida had only taken the fight on around 20 days' notice, as a late replacement for an injured Avril Mathie. Bridges was brutally honest in the wake of the defeat, conceding her performance had been "trash".

That bout was the last Bridges had before taking some time away to start a family. She has since joined Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions and is eager to fight more often, and for gold.

"MVP are fully behind that goal of me holding a belt while holding my son. It feels really good to have that support," she explained.

"That's what motivates me. I've already become a world champion. I've made money. Money motivates me, sure, but it's not what gets me into the gym every day.

"What motivates me is that image of holding my son in one arm and a world title in the other. For me, that's more iconic than anything else I've done!"

And the road map to that dream is already set out: Bridges is hoping for one more fight this year, which will move her up in the rankings and set up a potential mandatory challenge.

She has her sights set firmly on Cherneka Johnson, who, like Bridges, is part of Paul's MVP stable.

The reigning queen of the bantamweights has unified the division and currently holds the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles.

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"It makes things easier because we're under the same promotion. It's a fight people want to see, Bridges admitted.

She is also hoping for a clash with Shannon Courtenay. It was Courtenay that left her battered and bruised - giving the Blonde Bomber her first ever loss - in a bout for the WBA female bantamweight title back in April 2021.

Bridges knows, perhaps, the biggest challenge in her career now is time. But her dream of holding a world title in one hand and her son in the other is all the inspiration she needs.

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