Odette Yustman vs Kaley Cuoco
(Lioness Club of America vs Medallion Boxing)
(34-18-1, 27 KO vs 70-45-3, 47 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: A few years back this fight could have taken place at bantamweight but Odette Yustman has never established herself in the 120 lbs division despite a relatively slender physical presence for a woman of her height. The lack of eye-catching raw power didn't stop her from becoming one of the most successful lightweights over the years though. On the other hand Kaley Cuoco has grown too big for the bantams performance-wise and managed to hold the lightweight straps on three separate occasions following the move up the weight scale. This being said, both these veterans have never met before so tonight's result is extremely difficult to predict.

Odette Yustman wears a navy blue bikini set and silver gloves. Long black hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Kaley Cuoco wears a red bikini set and black gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a curly ponytail, The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division.

Round 1:
Kaley displays more courage at the start of this California derby fight and begins to stalk the brunette to the body forcing Odette into extended circles as the Lioness girl simply avoids immediate slugging contact. That comes back to haunt her down the stretch as Kaley keeps firing away and finds her targets to the tune of Odette almost tripping over her own feet. While her bendy defense is well known around these circles, Yustman finds little place to hide in the ring so she responds with a late counter-punching flurry and catches the blonde up the middle however there's no stopping Cuoco here and a belting hook to the liver area restores her authority; she pounds a shockingly immobile opponent back to the ropes and cleans out her tummy to sign off the action. Claudia Schiffer better wakes up her fighter here since Yustman was sleepwalking through the opener according to Erin Andrews and several fans gathered inside the Staples Center!

Round 2:
Odette forfeited that opener and she knows it; she comes flying out of the gate this time but Kaley beats her for the initial punch regardless before blasting her straight up the middle again. Apparently the Medallion blonde could be in for a field day tackling the taller brunette to the body however she bounces off the heavy guard too often to make a difference in the second and gets caught by Yustman's overhand response. A couple of nasty punches crash into the blonde's face before she thinks better off it yet Odette's superior reach does the damage and allows the L.A. native to thump her foe with additional juice. Cuoco wobbles to her heels but avoids disaster and clinches the charging brunette into safety as both women struggle for grip along the ropes in the closing seconds of the round.

Round 3:
While Odette is a counter-puncher by trade, she owns a significant size advantage over one of the smallest lightweights around. Under Claudia Schiffer's guidance she uses that leverage to thump repeated jabs through the middle to keep Cuoco at bay and even Erin Andrews the blonde stunner ain't doing nothing in mid-distance tonight! She simply doesn't have the reach to outbox Yustman in her comfort zone. The opening minute results in a spirited back & forth display from both girls but Odette's reach eventually makes the difference and she blocks off the blonde's efforts to close right in and fight from the inside of the park. A couple of nasty hooks bounce off Kaley's face and then another one tears her lip too which forces immediate shutdown and a defensive respite from the Medallion fighter. Odette gives up on the pursuit, sticking to her careful and often so effective game plan which might not win her KO of the Night honors but that's not her main goal tonight.

Round 4:
Kaley just can't make the break in mid-distance and gets pummelled through the middle again with Odette riding the precision wave until she has the blonde scowling in frustration. Ugh! This is getting tough on the Hall of Famer who gets notoriously exposed by the brunette's hit & weave tactics that's so successful tonight thanks to that superior reach. When you add Odette's mobility calling card to the mix, you can understand why Cuoco cuts thin air more often than her opponent's flesh and Yustman seems to genuinely enjoy that script right now even though she holds back the full power supply. She makes the blonde look sluggish through sheer workload alone and Kaley needs a back-up plan fast if she's to stop the bloodletting on the scorecards. That's three in a row for Yustman...

Round 5:
Kaley jumps into a seemingly all-or-nothing charge and manages to stick some juice into Odette's face however that's nowhere near good enough to throw the brunette off her comfort zone. Odette quickly adjusts to the pace of the onslaught and responds likewise which brings the battle wounds to the foreground. And it's not good news for Cuoco who suddenly displays a couple of nasty cuts on the nose and above the left eye which ultimately stops her offensive mojo in the tracks. She wobbles forward against Yustman's chest but gets drilled to the body and shoved into the ropes where Odette picks up the steam and bashes straight through the leaky high-guard. Cuoco gets glued to the ropes and finds no escape... she groans out her struggles until the bell becomes her best friend. This is now turning really ugly for the Hall of Famer!

Round 6:
Maybe the fans begin to realize why Yustman/Cuoco never happened over the years, this is just a bad match-up for the blonde based on the evidence and it doesn't get any better when Yustman cranks up the heat and drops the defensive mindset to pour juice straight into her opponent's face again. It's almost like Kaley is unable to find a suitable plan how to embrace the fellow California native and she gets no help from her Medallion entourage so only soaks up more punishment during another tough ordeal where she caves in under the onslaught and spends majority of the action glued to the ropes again! Odette's never been the power puncher type but she dissects Cuoco's confidence hand over the proverbial first now and leaves the Hall of Famer with that deer-in-the-headlights look at the conclusion of another ultra-effective round. Even Erin Andrews didn't see that coming tonight!

Round 7:
It looks like Kaley is broken mentally more than physically now and gets stuck in reverse while trying to pull out of another head-hunting rush. Odette roots her to the spot though and hauls more facial juice that opens the wound over the left eye and leaves the blonde scowling for mercy. My oh my, this is getting tough to watch! Yustman just doesn't stop harrassing her rival's face and Kaley drops back to the ropes where she eats more misery... she's been battered into such a mental mess she doesn't even seek a clinching respite while Yustman keeps picking her off... IT'S TOO MUCH FOR KALEY WHO EVENTUALLY TAKES A KNEE and that looked awfully suspicious. It's almost like she's done it on purpose just to halt the beating. She stares at some invisible point on the horizon during the count but doesn't even move a muscle which brings the fight to a premature end! KO7 Odette Yustman in shockingly dominant fashion!!!

AFTER: If the fight went the distance we could have witnessed one of the most lopsided scorecards since Odette's very own trip to the Asylum Arena almost six years ago. Kaley Cuoco was outboxed, outmatched and outperformed ever since the opening round and it looks like she simply gave up on the fight rather then seek a KO punch recovery. Erin Andrews claims she could have continued but decided not to and that must be blamed on her mental approach or lack thereof. One simply doesn't witness such endings in FCBA so often but this is a genuine mental submission that could be talked about for years to come.

It also elevates Odette Yustman back to the spotlight after a very difficult 2017 season. The arrival of Brooklyn Decker removed the L.A. native from the LCA Lightweight Alpha spot she's held by default since 2012. Even a prime-time victory over Missy Peregrym last April didn't change the fact that Decker is the designated money girl to battle the new wave of talent sponsored by Sports Illustrated & Victoria's Secret. However there is plenty of life left in this 32 year old and she shouldn't be dismissed from elite contention just yet. 

Final result: Odette Yustman def. Kaley Cuoco KO7.