Cierra Ramirez versus Natalie Portman

BEFORE:

Battle of Top Twenty-Five flyweights is spicy from the beginning with Cierra brimming with confidence coming in. "She's past it," Ramirez says with a smile. "She should have retired with Michelle. Too old and too slow to trouble a girl like ME."

"Perhaps Cierra has forgotten about the Pax Portmanica," Natalie says imperiously. "Apparently, I shall have to remind her."

ROUND ONE:

Cierra's right to work, creating a war of movement. She's quick and slick and likes to bounce and misbehave, and that's exactly what she's doing in the opening stanza. Portman's looking to square up her rival, create exchanges, but Ramirez is having none of it. She's dancing, circling, jabbing, stopping to pop, bouncing forward at times, but mainly staying at range and in open ocean, as she leads Natalie a merry chase. Portman gets caught up in it at times, just as the younger brunette wants, leading to some nice flurry opportunities for Ramirez. At the bell, there's no doubt about the points. Cierra's taken it wide and leads 10-9.

ROUND TWO:

Portman adjusts, no surprise. She's seen this play before, gone against a lot of women who fight like Cierra, and she has answers for them. It starts with the foot movement. She's not just trying to match going laterally now. She's stepping forward, closing distance, cutting the ring, forcing Cierra to box with at times. And, that's not a recipe for success against Natalie Portman. Ramirez has her moments, moments when she can range freely like she did in the first, and, in this moments, Cierra scores plenty of points, but they aren't enough to offset what's happening in the remainder of the round, when Natalie's imposing terms, scoring with both hands, and claiming the round to even things at 19.

ROUND THREE:

More Portman. Natalie's got it going now, and that's good for her, bad for YOU. She's got the geometry down. She's getting to spots, cutting off the ring, forcing Ramirez into positions she doesn't want to be in and exchanges she doesn't want to be a part of. Cierra's game, working hard to get into open canvas, get some space to stick and move, but it's just not happening. Natalie's calling the tune, and it sounds like Milli Vanilli to Ramirez, who can't seem to change the station. Final ten seconds see a NASTY right from Natalie that wobbles the younger woman, but, before Portman can take advantage, the bell rings ending a round Natalie takes wide to lead 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Portman continuing to roll. Ramirez has few answers. She can't get where she wants to go or stay out of positions where Natalie wants her. Result is more Portman grabbing firmer and firmer control of this th...BOOM! Right hand, CIERRA and NATALIE IS HURT! Portman STEPPIN' IN FENCE POST HOLES as Ramirez goes ALL IN. Natalie being backed up, battered with both hands and DOWN SHE GOES after a three-punch flurry! Cierra quickly to a neutral corner as the referee counts down on the older brunette. Natalie to hands and knees at six, pushes to her feet at nine and takes the mandatory...and on comes Cierra. Ramirez letting her rival have it with everything in the arsenal. Portman on the ropes and taking, manages to hang on to the bell. But. It's 10-8 for Cierra in the fourth, and Ramirez leads 38-37.

ROUND FIVE:

Ramirez doing pretty much what she wants early. Natalie's legs more than a little iffy and that means she can't move well enough to get off square or put enough snap in her punches to keep Cierra off when she steps to and gets off in combination. It's grim stuff for a minute or so, but then Portman's legs come around and Natalie begins firing back. Ramirez isn't going to play that game, so she's back to the war of movement, circling, jabbing, stopping to pop. Portman, meanwhile, is getting her box on when she can get the ring cut, something she's doing more and more as the round goes on. When the bell rings, it's fairly close, considering what happened early, but Ramirez takes the points and extends her lead to 48-46 at the half.

ROUND SIX:

Natalie building on what she did in the previous round. She's got the range now, got the angles down. She's cutting the ring, forcing Cierra to exchange, and out-boxing her. Younger brunette again game. She keeps trying to extricate herself from the traps Portman's setting for her, but the Hall of Famer is as slick as it gets, and Ramirez keeps finding herself in troub...BOOM! Right hand, NATALIE and CIERRA IS HURT! A GOBSMACKED Ramirez staggers backward and Portman DROPS HER WITH A LEFT-RIGHT COMBINATION! Cierra crumples, face forward, at Natalie's feet! Older brunette to a neutral corner to watch and wait, but the count is a mere formality. Ramirez is down and OUT and it's OVER and your winner by KO6 is Natalie Portman!

AFTER:

Portman matter-of-fact in the post-fight. "Cierra's just like so many of these other girls. They get a bunch of publicity for whatever reason and they start believing that stuff. And, then, the Consortium steps in and remind everyone of the difference between paper tigers and real ones."