At 39, surely Alesha hasn’t got many fights left in her, and, although she’s won her last three fights, she may have made a mistake in accepting this matchup with fellow former bantamweight champion Sacha, who is desperate to show that her defeat by Nadia Forde was due to ringrust, especially bearing in mind the brief and brutal defeat Alesha suffered against an inspired Danielle Harold

The girls have fought twice before, Alesha winning the first, then Sacha knocked her out in the rematch, before saddling her up and riding her

Sacha is first in the ring, looking good in a red bikini, Alesha joining her in a peach coloured bikini, and as gorgeous as ever

Round 1

Sacha slips neatly around the ring, punching Alesha with a couple of neat jabs, and that jolts her head backwards, but Alesha covers, waits for Sacha to get in closer, then retaliates, landing good shots on Sacha’s ribcage, making her back off, and she follows her, swinging some hefty left hooks into the blonde’s body, and one to her jaw which rocks her, and she goes backwards into the ropes, Alesha grinning, feints to punch her face again, but hits her right on the liver, and Sacha buckles, hurt but fighting on, and she clips Alesha with a sweet right hook as the round closes, pressing the brunette backwards to her corner

Round 2

After an up and down opening round, the girls need to settle, but Sacha’s looking keen, and she’s taking the fight to Alesha, swatting the older girl with a sweet pair of hooks, Alesha having to back off and cover, Sacha trying to open her up with an uppercut, but Alesha blocks it, Sacha tries again, but Alesha still blocks it, then fights back, and catches Sacha with a left hook to her cheek, which has her wobbling, but Alesha’s not following up, though, clearly concerned about Sacha’s punching power, and she stands back and jabs the blonde, who seems to realise the older girl doesn’t want to slug this out, and she lands a good right hook on Alesha, even though she has to eat a couple of jabs to get through, and she rocks the older girl with a smart left cross to follow, Alesha sagging at the knees a little, but getting through to the bell

Round 3

Sacha’s taking the fight to Alesha again, with Alesha defending, doing her best to cover up, and Sacha reacts by trying her uppercut again, three shots that the older girl blocks well, and Sacha’s getting careless, letting Alesha land her own punches, and she’s hurt! Sacha gets tagged with a left hook, and staggers backwards to the corner of the ring, Alesha following up this time, and she gets her again with a left, Sacha wobbling around, eats a right hook which follows up, and she goes down! So much hard work undone by that lapse – she’s up at 5, and looks more annoyed than hurt, but needs to control that, as Alesha has the bit between her teeth now, slams some hard shots into Sacha’s body, and a lovely combination to her face, Sacha on rubber legs again, and she just about gets through the round as Alesha takes control of this fight

Round 4

Both girls are looking for openings now, each sensing that this fight will not be decided on points, and Alesha lands a crisp little left cross on Sacha, turning her head to the side, but that doesn’t deter her from fighting back, landing a good combination of jabs and a hook on Alesha, and now she’s looking unsteady, covering up again, with Sacha now working on her body, rather than trying for one big shot, Alesha squealing a little as the blonde’s gloves rattle her ribs, and her defence starts to break apart for the first time, Sacha hitting and hurting her with a couple of left hooks, Alesha looking shabby after that, some blood seeping from a cut in her right eyebrow, and Sacha looks pleased to have caused that, pinging Alesha’s head backwards with solid punches, the brunette teetering slightly, her gloves parting, and now Sacha gives her a sound uppercut, and she sits Alesha down – the older girl rolling over, and on her feet again at 7, Sacha steaming in to put her back down, but the bell stops her

Round 5

Alesha certainly took punishment in round 4, and she’s bleeding from her mouth and her eye, Sacha also cut on her right cheek, but the girls go at it again, Sacha rocking Alesha early in the round, her left hook really arrowing in on that damaged eye, but Alesha fires back, and a banging left hook to the liver seems to take the strength and resolves out of Sacha, the blonde backing away, looking in pain, Alesha biding her time, closing the younger girl down with nice jabs, and she has her backed up in a neutral corner, pops her head back with a right cross, and there’s another vicious left hook to Sacha’s liver, and the girl goes down from that. Sacha’s on all fours, gasping for air, the referee counting over her – and she isn’t getting up - it’s over!

Result: Alesha Dixon knocked out Sacha Parkinson in round 5

A brutal fight between two experienced girls was enjoyed tonight, and Alesha’s milking the ovation – some might say she was second best for most of the fight, but her punches were too hard for the blonde, who looks devastated

Alesha goes to Sacha’s corner, but not to humiliate her – she ruffles her hair, and tells her, “You need some softer fights to get your confidence back, Sach! Why not see if Chelsea Halfpenny will fight you?”