Nicola Cavanis vs Bella Hadid

Before: "I'm comfortable," says Bella, with a smile, despite her record. "Nicola's rangy and tall, but slender - I think she's a little too fragile for lightweight. “

Cavanis purses her lips at that, but says nothing. The Germans have no humor.

Bikinis for both fighters, sky blue for Nicola, cream for Bella. Hair loose and cascading down their backs and breasts.

R1: Bella with left shoulder pointed at Nicola; right at the chin, set in her stance, but springy. Cavanis right at her cheek, left at shoulder height, looking to drive in a jab. Hadid drops a slick cross-counter right over Nicola's jab. Cavanis blinking in shock as brisk hooks about the breasts and face chase her to the ropes. Hadid straightens Nicola up before committing to attacking her slender waistline. Hadid bopping in and out. Nicola swishes away the odd side-swiping left hook, but she can't make contact. The loss by a wide margin leaves Cavanis shaken at the bell.

R2: Spirited trade at arm's length, favors the lankier Nicola, and eventually she catches Bella's chin with a smashing success of an uppercut. Hadid's knees almost give out, but she straightens up in time to defend against Cavanis pursuing off the left shoulder, jabbing, jabbing, and jabbing. Nicola steps in to hammer a dazed, stunned patina onto her face. Then, near the end of the round, she takes one of her own, an uppercut from Hadid that she was not expecting, and is dazed herself, but the bell sounds before Hadid can pursue.

R3: The uppercut seems to have greatly affected Nicola as she is unsteady going into round three, and Bella focuses her attacks on where she is weakest: the belly. Nicola’s thin build counts against her in a melee slug. She lets out a wordless grunt, then another, then another in a string of UNNNNGHs, HNNNNGHs, and URRRRKs as Bella plays her like a fiddle. Almost pressed against Hadid, Nicola does not have the space to wall up, and falls prey to savage blows that drives the air out of her lungs repeatedly and reduces her to a weeping, heaving fit at the end of the round. The ref asks Nicola if she wants to submit as her opponent’s fans jeer at her, but she refuses.

R4: In round four Nicola tries to keep Hadid away, but a mistimed block lets Hadid sink another punch into her already-bruised belly, and follow-ups have her spitting out her mouthpiece and slumping against Hadid, who takes the opportunity to punish her more, holding Nicola up with an arm under hers and slugging into Cavanis’s belly with her other. At the end of the round Bella lets her slump to the mat. Not quite a knockdown, for it is after the bell, but it is not heartening for her supporters. Nicola lies on her stomach, body shuddering as she sobs, unable to command her legs, needing the help of her corner, who are recommending that she concede with uncertain voices now, to return to her stool.

R5: Fortunately for her corner and her record, Nicola walls Bella off successfully, and pops Bella’s head and face enough times in round five to secure the round for herself.

R6: Nicola not letting up, getting immediately on top with her jab as she works to break Bella down. Right hands are finding their way through Hadid's guard, but she finds no gap through which to attack. In the second minute Nicola goes for the finish, seeing and deeming that Bella is hurt enough for a headshot to finish her off. She feints with a left and goes overhand with her right as Hadid droops forward, loops the left, going out and around to swing hard at the kidney.

Both hit at the same time, Nicola’s into Hadid’s face, twisting her head sideways, and Hadid’s into Nicola’s guts, rearranging her insides forcibly. Bella goes down and stays down. This pushes Nicola to a breaking point as it sets her into a retching fit, her mouthguard coming out with a torrent of spit and bile. She staggers, doubled over, arms clutching at her belly, legs weak, and she knows if she falls, she is not getting back up.

But she does not fall with Bella, and instead of a double KO, we get a Nicola Cavanis victory.

Winner via KO6: Nicola Cavanis!