Ebanie Bridges says she "didn't get here on boobs and bum" in swipe at haters

dailystar.co.uk:

Ebanie Bridges has hit back at the haters, arguing that her IBF bantamweight world title win proves that she hasn’t achieved her status as a top fighter on looks alone.

The Aussie – who goes by the Blonde Bomber in the ring – beat rival Maria Cecilia Roman on points after a ten round contest in March.

After the fight, she quickly took the opportunity to rally against the abuse she receives for her looks, asking, “can I f***ing fight or what?” Despite her success, Bridges has been forced to address criticism of her looks, and often bats away commentary about her lingerie-clad posing at weigh-ins.And in a recent appearance with SAS Who Dares Wins presenter Ollie Ollerton on his new BreakPoint podcast, Ebanie reflected on her time on the show, while also emphasising that her dedication to boxing has paid off.“I’ve sacrificed my home, I’ve moved countries, I’ve given up a lot of stuff at home to get where I am, it is hard work,” she said, before addressing her win over Roman.“For me it was a bit of a f*** you guys, and that’s what I said in my post-fight interview.

I was like, ‘can I f***ing fight or what? I didn’t get here on t**s and a**e. Just because I weigh-in in lingerie and just because I’m pretty and I’m feminine doesn’t mean I can’t fight.” Ebanie’s racy weigh-ins – and her promoter Eddie Hearn’s awkward reactions – have garnered various memes and GIFs on social media, but the 35 year-old emphasised that this shouldn’t lead people to dismiss her boxing ability.“I get judged a lot because of my looks, I don’t look like the typical boxer,” she acknowledged. “I am different, I choose to be myself, and I choose to show my hard work in my body and to be feminine.“I don’t think there’s a problem with mixing femininity.