2. Luisana Lopilato vs Sharni Vinson (Bantamweight)

Luisana:
(30, 5’7, 115, 12:5 FCBA, VIXENS)
Sharni:
(35, 5’7, 0:2 FCBA, Free Agent)

BEFORE:
“It’s true - I did just beat Joanna Krupa, and that was indeed one of the toughest fights of my life. Why face someone like Sharni next? Well, partly because I think she’s gonna be a challenge for me. But if we’re being brutally honest, I just feel that I can knock her out quickly,” Luisana confessing as much with a grin, and as early, pulling no punches in her opening remarks. 

It certainly raises some eyebrows, with Sharni being assessed in such a lowly manner. The blonde raises an eyebrow of her own, uncomfortable at being painted in such a unflattering light.

“Just because Luisa’s won some matches doesn’t make her an automatic goddess,” Sharni snaps back into the mic. “In fact, I seem to recall the MANY other times she’s said the same things: Oh, she’d win. Oh, she’s invincible... only to find herself flattened out on her back. This time, especially, I hope she’s certain that she’s not going to eat her words, because I certainly am gonna feed them back to her later…”

Tense face-off at the dias as both blondes come close to blows after coming face-to-face. Identical heights and bodies aside, Sharni looking slightly more toned compared to the Argentinian, but Luisana certainly making up for that shortfall with her many more fights in the ring, giving her an edge in terms of experience. 

Later in the ring, we’re about to find out who will prevail… referee calls for the bell and the start of this contest, and HERE we go with ten rounds of Bantamweight action!

ROUND 1:
Both girls refusing to close distance immediately, gloves over faces as they take equal steps forward and back, just balancing out the first round. Sharni arguably with more to prove, snaps a couple of lucky punches into Luisana’s face good and early, before getting blown the f*ck backwards by a lunging hook in reply. Lopilato not mincing her words here - sure, her opponent’s got more to prove by winning her first one, but the Vixen has more to lose if she doesn't take this fight convincingly on her end. She chases the blonde about late in the round, not always successfully catching Vinson, but doing enough to damage the body with more side hooks that land, before the bell rings and forces them back to corners. Luisana certainly redeeming herself early with that comeback, and the Vixen looks slightly relieved to have come out on top.

ROUND 2:
Not so for the second, with Lopilato again getting stunned to the nostrils with some unexpectant early jabbing from Vinson, who had come in hard and fast just as soon as that bell had rang, STINGING Luisa with a couple of lefts and rights before she even knew what hit her. Luisana groaning, covering up and retreating, all that lead of hers evaporating before her eyes. Vinson leading the exchange, harassing with a steady barrage of straight punches aimed all over the place. It’s messy action, but it has the desired effect: Luisana flailing about, her guard trying to defend all the punches at once, inadvertently letting in more stray hands to her body and cheek. Bell rings and Luisana looking flustered as f*ck and STILL wanting to bang back, taking after-round lunges at Sharni even though the bell’s rung. Thankfully, she gets held back by the referee, though we’re not used to seeing nice-girl Lopilato lose her cool like that.... Big turnaround for Vinson as she strides into the lead with this one!

ROUND 3:
Surgical attacks part of the game as both girls stay cautious this round, circling and jabbing on the occasion. Luisana with a bone to pick after that debacle of the previous, jabs a little too often at Sharni’s head and gets bitten back by return shots whenever this happens. Sharni looking for that opening that saw her success the last time, but finding her opponent’s defenses all but immune this time to another reckless bull charge, and has to be content with simple snaps of her gloves into Luisa’s belly and chin. Luisana’s back getting hollered at by her own corner in the final minute, trying to convince her that this isn't the way she normally fights. And true enough, once she settles down and steadies her breath, she SCORES a hard left-right combo into Sharni’s guard, then her body, leaving her with the last laugh as the bell rings.

ROUND 4:
Here we go with the fourth: Luisana still behind in points but determined to change her fortune. On the other hand, could this very well be Vinson’s lucky night, scoring the first win of her career against an established fighter no doubt? Vinson striking forward quickly, hoping to capitalize on her momentum, but her strikes landing on the forearms and not troubling Luisa too much. Lopilato biding her time, walking backwards and looking calm and collected compared to the previous three iterations. Vinson showing the limits of her stamina, however, and some kinks in her amour when she lands big right hook into the Vixen’s guard, but then gets BLASTED to the face when Luisa RETALIATES with one of her own! OUCH. That counter blow almost took her head off as Vinson is sent scrambling to the right! Here comes Lopilato, landing more stiff blows to the blonde’s sternum in close quarters! With nowhere left to go and time running out on her, Sharni’s driven back into the ropes from the steady pounding on her body. Last few seconds and Luisana going to town on her guard as well, crashing in hooks left and right but failing to put her for down for the count. She walks away both exasperated and relieved - a BIG turnaround for her this time as she redeems her position in this contest!

ROUND 5:
Sharni huffing and hurting at the start of the fifth, looking like Luisana’s done a number on her early. Still, Luisa not rushing in from the start, ut closing distance bit by bit with a combination of jabs and hooks. Sharni fending them off best that she can, sure, but doesn't realize her lifeline’s shrinking by the second as Luisana crowds out her escape route. Before she knows it, another wicked combination of hooks bangs into the side of her body, then a right hand up into the cheek SPINS her off her feet - she goes CRASHING down to the canvas, in a wicked KNOCKDOWN for Luisana Lopilato! 

Referee counting Sharni out but it’s of little use - she’s completely knocked out on her side, eyes closed shut and mouth drooling on canvas. The referee waves it off!

Official Decision: Luisana Lopilato defeats Sharni Vinson via KO5!

AFTER:
Luisana nodding with the same, self-assured confidence as the result is made official tonight, as though she’d predicted this outcome all along.

“She didn’t stand a chance against me,” Luisana smiling widely at reporters ring-side. “She gave me some trouble early on, but I knew that if I weathered it out, she’d go down easy at a later round.” 

Addressing the criticism shown her way that Sharni’s wasn’t a high-enough level of an opponent for her, Luisana gives a short laugh, before replying. “Look at my face - she definitely lit me up a couple of times in there. So I don’t know what they’re talking about when they say I’m taking any easy fights. That being said, I’m about ready for the big time. My dream is to get into the top ten one day. From there, who knows!”

Certainly don’t let Sharni hear you label her as just filler-material... Well, IF she can even hear anything that’s going on at this point, with her still lying flat on her back and currently getting checked over by the medical staff. 

With the second fight of the evening over this early, we hope you stick around for more exciting fights coming your way!