Hannah Rankin discovered simply how onerous bare-knuckle boxing is on Saturday night time.
The 13-8 skilled boxer beforehand gained the IBO super-welterweight title in 2019, and in doing so turned the primary Scottish lady to turn out to be a world champion.
Rankin added to her epic legacy when she gained the WBA feminine super-welterweight belt two years later – however now she’s determined to strive a brand new sport.
‘The Classical Warrior’ was anticipated to make use of her boxing abilities to dominate K1 fighter Deborah Melhorn, however issues didn’t go precisely to plan on the Marbella Enviornment.
Hannah Rankin battered, bloody and bruised after her BKFC debut
Rankin and Melhorn have been tough to separate by means of 5 rounds of pulsating back-and-forth motion that had Conor McGregor raving when the ultimate bell sounded.
The UFC legend and BKFC co-owner instantly stormed the ring to reward each fighters who he repeatedly and loudly branded ‘warrior ladies’ earlier than the scorecards have been confirmed.
Finally, Rankin was declared the winner by way of a 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 cut up resolution earlier than celebrating wildly as her disenchanted opponent headed backstage to evaluate a troublesome loss.
The victory got here at a value. Rankin was virtually unrecognizable on the closing bell as she was coated in blood from cuts that had opened up in the course of the bout.
Each her eyes and her head have been swollen in a method that warped the face and made Rankin look nothing just like the fighter who had entered the ring half-hour earlier.
After taking time to heal up, Rankin is nearly actually set to hold on together with her bare-knuckle boxing profession that has seen her strike up a friendship with the promotion’s well-known co-owner.
Conor McGregor took Hannah Rankin underneath his wing forward of her profession swap
Rankin just lately opened up about her shut relationship with McGregor, who has performed the whole lot he can to make her transition from boxing to bare-knuckle as straightforward as potential.
The Scot has completely loved being across the UFC icon and getting suggestions from among the best MMA fighters to have ever stepped foot contained in the Octagon.
“I’ve been concerned in a variety of press conferences however being concerned in a press convention with Conor McGregor is in a very totally different league. He has critical star energy,” Rankin instructed The National.
“However he’s taken me underneath his wing and he and his crew are actually supporting me – we’ve received one another’s cellphone numbers, so he’ll message me which is kind of loopy.
“It’s been insane listening to him speaking me up publicly however once I chat to him alone, with nobody else round, you possibly can simply converse to him like a standard particular person.
“He’s obsessive about combating and fight sports activities – he’s an actual nerd about all of it so truly, after we’re speaking fighter to fighter, it feels actually regular.”
Rankin needs to win one other belt underneath McGregor’s BKFC banner.
She added: “Finally, the objective is to turn out to be a two-sport world champion.
“I’m not going into this simply to have a go, I need to be nice.
“I by no means do issues by half and it’s the identical with this. All through my complete profession, I’ve by no means shied away from a problem – I’ve all the time needed to go up towards the very best on the earth so truly, I’d have been disenchanted if I’d been going up towards a smooth contact
“I’m a two-time world champion myself and I’m happy with that so I need to go in towards robust opposition. That offers me further motivation understanding it’ll be a tough struggle.
“I do really feel some nerves however I’m glad to have them as a result of it makes me further targeted.”
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