Odette Yustman vs. Brooklyn Decker
(Lightweight Championship)
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE:

The match that almost wasn't, this one required an actual order from the FCBA Commission itself to get made, and give Brooklyn Decker a third bite at the apple. And, it's clear the blonde plans on exorcising the demons of her first two shots at gold, the crushing early stoppage at the hands of Helfer for the lightweight titles, and the soul-crushing come-from-ahead, tenth-round defeat by Freeman for the welter straps. "I've been hearing about how I can't win the big one for too long now," the blonde says with fire in the eyes. "Well, they don't get any bigger than this one. And, tonight, I'll shut the haters' mouths and prove the doubters wrong."

Considering that Odette Yustman's last loss in a ring not covered with ice was on October 4, 2013 to some girl named Strahovski, and that, since then, she's won 12 fights AND the lightweight titles AND avenged that loss to Strahovski, one wouldn't think Ms. Yustman would have much more to prove. But, Odette's a girl who believes she was an afterthought for much too long, so the chip remains firmly on the shoulder. "I know some people are picking against me tonight," the brunette says with a shake of the head. "They say I didn't fight well against Alexander, that I'm giving up size and power to her, that I'm due for a loss, all of that. Well, they've always been wrong about me, and they're wrong again. I'm going to beat this girl tonight, and PROVE them wrong. AGAIN."

ROUND ONE:

No surprise in the early strategies. Decker wants to work at range, bring the heavy left jab to bear, and then use the big right as a bludgeon. Odette, knowing standing in front of Decker is a losing strategy, wants to move, use those legs and feet, and she does so effectively as always, working hard to stay off square, landing quick little flurries at angles, and always slipping either left or right. The blonde patient. Working the left, looking to range find, match footwork. When she's able to square, Decker's very effective, getting both hands out and back and scoring with solid shot. But, she can't do it enough for her liking, though it's more than enough for Odette's. The result of all this is that both girls get some of what they want, but far from all of it. And, as a result, we get a good, two-way round. At the bell, it's been close, but the brunette champion has claimed the points.

ROUND TWO:

More of the same. Odette all slippery and slick. Brooke moving the feet with, working to hit Yustman on the screws, but mostly unable to do so. Decker making the most of the opportunities she gets, though. When she gets the jab on, the right follows and she can force the brunette to back up and scamper away. But, when Odette can slip the left, get her angles and geometry right, she's able to put together good scoring flurries of her own, racking up enough points to offset with Decker's doing with the power. It's cat and mouse stuff, you could say, except that the mouse is every bit as dangerous, if not more so, than the cat. And, in fact, as the round goes on, the mouse begins getting the better of things. Not in a major way. This remains a good, two-way fight, but it's the brunette who's getting a little more of what she wants, and, as a result, Yustman claims the points again and now leads 20-18.

ROUND THREE:

The mouse continuing to lead the cat on a merry chase. If Decker's feeling any frustration, though, she's not showing it. The blonde's sticking with the plan. Working the left and the feet, looking to create openings for the big right hand, her weapon of choice. Yustman, though, all motion, all smooth, sleek motion, all about hitting Decker while not giving Decker anything to hit. And, again, it's working. BOOM. It stops working. Decker lands the left, stopping Yustman for just an instant, and then drops a nasty overhand right that unhinges Yustman's legs! Odette wobbles, stumbles, nearly goes down. And Decker is after her in a big way. She trains the heavy guns on the wobbled champion and blasts salvo after salvo at her. Odette's quickly trapped on the ropes, taking a pounding as heavy shell explodes all around her. She's still moving the head and shoulders, though, rolling with punches, taking others on her high, tight guard. It's all about survival now, and, while things are hairy right to the bell, Odette DOES survive. She's shaky on the way back to the corner, and she's lost the round wide, but she still leads 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Decker coming forward now. Not getting sloppy. Not going all-in for a stoppage. But, looking to consolidate gains. She's backing Odette up with the heavy left jab, using it to set up her hard right, whether it be a hook or cross. She uses the crosses upstairs and reserves the hooks mostly for the body. But, both are landing more often now, and with the force you'd expect from a girl the ex-Commisioner once called "brutally hard-hitting". For her part, Odette works the counter and does so with a great deal of slickness and accuracy. She's mostly on her back foot, but she's punching back at every opportunity, denying any sort of romp to the blonde, stabilizing her front, getting her legs back under her, managing this round and getting the crisis of round three in her rear view. There's no question who's in control. And, at the bell, there's no doubt that Decker has won the round and evened the fight at 38. But, tactically, it's Odette who's come out the winner.

ROUND FIVE:

Decker forward again. Likes the lay of the land when she's got Yustman going backward, and, with that big left again landing with frequency, that's exactly where she's got the brunette going. Odette conducting a fighting retreat, legs seemingly almost all the way back. She's countering both well and often. And, then she counters VERY well. It's a perfect right over Decker's left jab and it's BLONDE GIRL DOWN!. Decker dropped to her back, by an absolutely brilliant right hand, and, for a moment or two, all looks to be lost for the blonde. But, at seven, she's on hands and knees, and, by just a single second, she beats the count. Which simply entitles her to take a serious thumping at the hands of a now-rampaging Odette. Yustman is nothing if not thorough about the clean up, bullying a wobbly Decker to the ropes and simply hammering away at her for a minute and a half before the bell, mercifully, stops the carnage. This time, it's the challenger wobbling back to her corner while the champion walks steadily back to hers, back in the lead 48-46.

ROUND SIX:

Odette taking control now. She's bouncing around, snapping out hard left hands, using all that speed and quickness to devastating effect on a still-buzzed Decker. Brooklyn eating lots of leather as she tries to keep up with the brunette, chase her down and bring her to battle. But, the champion's leading quite the chase, and she's not going to be caught. Instead, its hit, run, and hit again for the brunette. Decker's not hurt by any of it...except where it matters most, on the scorecards, because Odette has piled up a huge lead by the final minute, and the blonde, frustrated and touched up, can do nothing about it. The last sixty seconds are vintage Yustman. Odette just so slick, so quick, slipping almost everything Decker throws and landing the highest percentage she has all night. By the bell, Yustman is well in the clear, coming away with a wide victory that extends her lead to 58-55.

ROUND SEVEN:

More slick movement from Yustman, who's now in firm control of the proceedings. It's all about the feet, the angles, the quick hands, and the chains of maneuver and punches. "A" leads to "B" which leads to "C", and all 26 letters are working for the champion. Yustman putting together beautiful combinations that force the blonde to cover up, then slipping away before she can react. Grim stuff for Decker, who's getting her face powdered on a regular basis. BOOM. Decker lands the straight right hand and the round turns on a dime. Yustman's legs do a shimmy, and, all of a sudden a quarry that couldn't be brought to battle becomes a stationary target. And the blonde trains all the guns on it for the remaining two minutes of the round. Odette takes an absolute pasting, as Decker works out the frustrations of the past two plus rounds on the champion's head and body. By the end, Yustman is soaking up leather on the ropes, but, again, the champion survives. It's Decker wide, but Odette still in the lead 67-65.

ROUND EIGHT:

Brooklyn in seek and destroy mode from the opening seconds of this one. The blonde straight forward behind the left, backing Odette up, walking the champion down. Yustman on the defensive, guard held high, countering in spots, playing for time as her legs slowly come back. BOOM. BRUNETTE DOWN! Overhand right from Decker sends Odette crashing to her left side! Yustman on hip and forearm watching the count, pushes to hands and knees and she's standing at eight. Referee gives her the mandatory and waives on Decker. And things get very, very ugly from there. Brooklyn's been here twice before and knows what its like to see it all slip away. Not this time. She's firing the ammo dumps flat at the brunette, trapping her on the ropes, then working her over viciously to head and body. Odette looking ready to go and the referee looking ready to stop it. But, neither happen. Somehow, Yustman hangs on and is standing at the end. And the cards are now even at 75.

ROUND NINE:

Decker punched out. Two straight rounds of simply firing away and the blonde is gassed. The brunette, meanwhile, has rubber legs and is clearly still more than a little muzzy. As a result, there's not exactly a ton of action in the ninth, something made all the more apparent by how much action we've seen in the last five rounds. Odette's keeping the guard high, looking for space to counter. Decker popping out her left, but not finding much with it. The brunette having slightly the better of things just finding the odd opening and landing a right hand here or there. By the final minute, Odette is moving better, and that makes all the difference. She's jabbing and slipping the slowed punches the blonde is able to muster. Yustman isn't doing much, but she's doing more than Decker, and that's all that matters at the bell. It's close, but it's the champion, who's gone back on top 85-84.

ROUND TEN:

It's all happening again. It's all slipping away for the blonde. Yustman moving well again into the tenth, snapping out that accurate left, getting the feet going, angling up, all slick boxing, hard-to-hit stuff, the stuff that's made her a champion. Decker in pursuit, taking fire but willing to do so. She knows she needs this round. And so does her opponent. Odette legging. Jabbing. Slipping and dipping. Building up a lead she can protect with those great legs down the stretch. BOOM. Right hand Decker! Yustman wobbled. Left hook, Decker. CHAMPION DOWN! Yustman dropped to her back with a minute to go! No celebration from the exhausted blonde. Too tired for that. Just into a neutral corner to watch. Watch as Odette beats the count AGAIN! Yustman wobbly, as the referee waives Decker forward. Brooklyn working the left hand, jabbing Odette back to the ropes. Blonde retrospect, scoring, but not going all in. Remembering Freeman. Not going to take any chances with a girl as dangerous on the counter as the champion. The heavy jab being used to suppress, to pin the brunette to the ropes. Right hand kept in reserve as the clock ticks down. At the bell, Odette is still standing. It goes to the cards. Cards read 94-93 for your winner by UD10 and NEW Unified Lightweight Champion, Brooklyn Decker!

AFTER:

Decker surprising some people by being complimentary of her rival in the post-fight. "I have no idea what was holding her up," Brooke says, shaking her head. "Well, yes I do. It was nothing but pride and guts. There might not be five other lights who could have taken the stuff I threw at her and ended the night on their feet. But, before I forget, I have a message for the doubters and the haters." She stops and holds up the belts. "Oh, and Wiz? We're now officially up 1-0 in the stable war with LCA. You're welcome."