"I'm glad that my 2016 wins keep me ranked high enough to get a fight with Nicki," said Candice Patton in an interview shortly before the fight. "I'm sure a lot of people are betting against me here, but I don't plan on being the sort of fighter that goes zero for three and then vanishes." Nicki Minaj was optimistic. "She's underranked, but beatable,' explained the rapper. "I should have to work for this one."

Nicki Minaj made her entrance on fight night in red trunks and a sports bra, while Candice Patton arrived wearing black athletic wear. While there had been no pre-fight animosity between the two boxers, both warmed up in a serious and competitive manner.

Round 1:
While Patton stood up to Minaj effectively in the opening of the fight, Minaj took control soon after, ducking one of the taller woman's swings and punishing her with a rising right to the jaw. Minaj tagged Patton's cheek as she retreated, and scored several solid hits in the following skirmishes. Patton made a final push towards the end of the round, but Minaj held firm, countering Patton with a straight right hand to the nose and parrying the worst of her attacks.

Round 2:
Patton pushed Minaj back early on in the round, using her jab to frustrate the shorter woman's attacks and keep herself safe. However, Minaj adapted over the course of the round, breaking through to land a pair of solid blows herself. Towards the round's finish, Minaj weathered a strike from Patton to land a solid strike to the actress' jaw.

Round 3:
Both women took turns applying the pressure in the third round, but neither could fully break through her opponent's defenses. Patton picked her attacks carefully, but couldn't connect without exposing herself, and played it safe instead. Minaj played it slow, clearly looking for a counter attack, but Patton's priority seems to be avoiding that exact outcome.

Round 4:
In the fourth round, Minaj attempted to pressure Patton harder, and Patton met her with equal force. In the opening exchange, Patton retreated from Minaj as she attacked fiercely, but when the rapper attempted to follow up, Patton lunged and landed a right handed swing to the side of her head. Stunned, Minaj became easy prey for a moment, as Patton briskly and precisely struck her on the sides of the face before she could escape. While Minaj stabilized and regrouped, her somewhat weakened response was not enough to keep Patton under control. The taller actress was able to take her pick of head shots at Minaj, facing less of a response.

Round 5:
At the start of the fifth round, Minaj returned to the fight, her left eyelid beginning to swell up from the damage she had absorbed in the previous round. Patton took advantage of Minaj's weak spot, controlling her opponent and preventing any effective counter attacks. As Minaj struggled harder to turn the fight around, Patton was able to keep up, punishing her opponent further and landing whatever punches she liked towards the end of the round.

Round 6:
In the sixth round, Minaj battled for a comeback, showing early aggression. The rapper attempted a liver hook, landing a decent blow to Patton's ribs. From there, Patton pushed her back and took control, jabbing her nose and tagging her with several follow ups. Minaj, in free fall, took a swing again, only to strike the air as Patton dodged and countered a final time with a right to the jaw. It was too much, and Minaj teetered and fell forward, pushing herself up on all fours.

She breathed deeply, head hung low, for the entire count -- KO6 Patton.

Minaj made a quick exit, with several irregular cuts and bruises on her face as well as her very swollen eye, though she tweeted a slightly less puffy recovery picture the following day. Patton, meanwhile, celebrated. "2018 is the year I get signed," the actress explained happily. "I mean, Punchaholics should fire Nicki and pick me up if there's any justice, right?"