Before: "She's not the best athlete in this fight," Missy says simply, eyes bright. "That's the challenge for Evangeline. She tries to fight me the way she's been fighting these other girls? She's gonna get bounced. Evangeline Lilly's going to have to adjust - how's she going to handle a girl who's more physical than she is? That's the question, and I don't think Lilly's got the answer!"

Evangeline stoic as always - confidence evident. "I'll admit Missy poses problems that other girls don't," Lilly says in prefight, "but every girl's a puzzle until they get hit. She says she's more physical than me: now's her chance to prove it. Personally, I think once we get inside, she's going to have trouble backing up her claims. And we're going to be inside a lot, because that's the way I want it."

Missy in bright blue sport top, red bikini bottoms; scruffy ponytail; white gloves. Lilly in green bikini top, pink bottoms; black gloves; curly ponytail.

During R1: Missy hands up, light on her toes - just shifting to either side, pumping out the jab. Lilly repulsed early - she's trying to weave her way in low, but finding Peregrym's sharp poke a persistent obstacle. Missy landing a loud, cranking hook in Lilly's stomach at the minute mark: Peregrym popping hips-right, really lashing that lick home - bunching Lilly up. Evangeline coming up short on right hands to Missy's head, but finding ribcage with her left: Peregrym covering up well to absorb the body blow, then instantly answering with her own rigid left to Lilly's ribs. That's the way of it: crisp, hard hitting both ways; good movement from both; Missy simply outnegotiating Lilly, keeping Evangeline outside for the most part.

R2: Lilly weaves into her crouch: Missy jabs hairline, eases herself out of range, roams to her left. Evangeline constantly coaxed forward: Missy's tanned body tense, energetic - just humming as she manages ring and opponent both. Peregrym wading in at times, swinging big, beefy right/lefts loud to Lilly's waist, then sidestepping Evangeline's right flank: Lilly left crouching, turning on the spot as Missy nicks her up. Down the stretch, Lilly pressing, gets caught a rising left hook to sternum. Evangeline cramps up: Missy dives in and down, pasting Lilly a gorgeous right cross POPPING loud to jaw and EVANGELINE GOES DOWN! Crashing blow - Missy leaning in and catching Lilly flush...Evangeline sprawling to her back - backs of her hands and head bouncing sickeningly off canvas. Peregrym jogs all grins and ponytail to neutral corner, thrilled to have stopped her foe...but NO! Evangeline desperately hurt, somehow rallying off her back on conditioning alone to stand swooning at the bell. Peregrym with a "darn it!" grin back to her corner: she thought she had it. Lilly a shabby wreck to her corner: she successfully pleads with ref to let it go, but she doesn't recover fully during the break.

R3: Missy alert, humming - weight on left (front) leg, right heel up off canvas as she circles hurt prey. Lilly in terrible trouble - shaking off a KO, menaced by a rangy power puncher - she turns on the spot, changing her hand positions, bobbing at the waist. Job of work for Missy - she sets about systematically reducing her foe. Stiff jabs pound at Lilly's defences, occasionally bashing her head back. Ripping left hooks spank at Lilly's firm abs - MIssy pivoting left around these blows, always turning her foe. Evangeline mounting hobbled attacks - trying to slug her way inside - but she's wobbly-butt, unable to press effectively. Tough to watch - Missy triggering at will, shelling her brave foe into lumpy-faced stupor.

R3,4: Lilly bravely out to continue...but badly degraded: she's fighting on conditioning alone, taking punishment that lesser women wouldn't have been around for. Peregrym still respectful enough to execute with discipline - working outside, pounding the jab, lashing the body, turning her foe midring. Driving right hands continue to score for MIssy - not as huge as the knock down shot - but bitterly stiff scoring blows, closing Lilly's left eye, punching her groggy. Evangeline visibly slowed, tragically hurt, but still trying - occasionally finding chin or ribcage with the odd swinging shot. Missy dominant, but methodical: she's unhurried, just taking her time to break down the rest of Evangeline and get her ready to go.

R5: Lilly shaking off her own trainers: she's refusing to quit, despite increasingly disadvantageous terms. Missy attacking mercilessly with the jab - pounding back Lilly's face, hammering her drowsy. Crowd starting to squeal uncomfortably as Lilly loosens, but refuses to bend - she's STILL stumbling forward at times. Latter half the round, crippling lefts and rights to the waist bunch Lilly up, doubling her over: Missy shifts weight to left leg, ripping a series of rigid left uppercuts to the body, picking Lilly up and driving her backward at the stumble. Long right hand kisses Lilly's chin as she's backpedalling - turning her head aside, loosening her knees: she staggers to ropes in a fog, takes a seat in ropes. Missy hopping-to: quick one-two bounces off Lilly's battered face; VICIOUS left uppercut curls through, picking Lilly's chin up savage and EVANGELINE GOES DOWN! Lilly nosing-in off the ropes, lying still for a moment, then floundering on her belly, trying to get to her knees. She beats the count shabby, face all busted up and drowsy through 5 long rounds of Missy.

R6: Missy hooks Evangeline to tummy - hooks her again, takes hook-to-chops as Lilly's still competing. Missy startled, then stepping in close with a short right to chin - girls suddenly exchange to bodies and heads as Evangeline digs deep for reserves. Missy outpunched: she legs out of range, face thoughtful as she exhales through pursed lips. Peregrym circling, coaxing Lilly forward: Evangeline able to be the aggressor, stabilize her front, and get points in the sixth.

R7: Evangeline badly banged up, but rallying. Again she finds Missy's face with right hands, inviting Peregrym to slug toe-to-toe: gorgeous, taut tit-for-tat as both girls light it up. Even scoring, but it's MIssy stepping back - eyes narrowed as she circles, looking to get leggy. Lilly presses the pace - closing on her foe with spitting jabs, then engaging inside. Missy's up for it - lowering her head, rolling her shoulders to dip-n'-dig at her foe: crowd roaring as two of the hardest bodies in the game treat each other shabby. Lilly still chugging after the bell, plowing insurance into MIssy's jugs and belly: probably another Evangeline heat.

R8: Adjustment from Missy...like Erica Durance, Missy's a converted southpaw: she turns herself around, fighting out of her natural unorthodox stance - right foot and shoulder forward. Missy rotating to her right...elbows in, dukes up: she's dropping the hammer style right jab; tilting to her right to spike the short, straight left home. Lilly sputtering from stiff face-punches: she's pre-empted, wrong-footed, really undressed here as Peregrym stabilizes her front. Missy pivoting counterclockwise, scoring regularly - that left hand pounding Lilly's face unrecognizable this round.

R9: Missy out in southpaw, touching Lilly the hammer-drop jab, pivoting right, slicing in diabolical straight left hands. Lilly facing into punishment - willing herself forward, but really eating now...head popping back from clean Peregrym left hands. Lilly demoralized, sluggish - it's the groggiest we've seen her in ages, taking drilling punishment from Missy. Down the stretch - Missy drops in that evil left to face; doubles it and EVANGELINE SITS DOWN! Lilly exhausted, battered on her buns - she's a sad sight all puffy cheeked, eyes swollen to slits. Still: she rolls over her left hip, gets up, grimly determined during her 8.

R10: Missy uptempos on Lilly: one of the rare times we've seen a girl accelerate pace on Evangeline late. Lilly a tragic sight - unable to see the incoming - getting her face punched hard: Missy offering no quarter, but staying disciplined, hardhearted. Peregrym stays southpaw - turning Lilly, pasting her: Evangeline stumbling, righting herself - proud battler still trying despite suffering tremendous abuse tonight. Peregrym scoring, but easing off the gas: she's convinced she won't stop Lilly tonight - happy to coast to the finish line on the strength of pounding face-punches. Comes back UD10 for the winner and NEW bantam champ - Missy Peregrym.

After: Evangeline savagely beaten over the long haul, but that second round whack was the killer: the wonder is that Lilly could finish at all. "She's tough as nails," a beaming Missy admits in postfight. "I put her out in the second round, and her legs just picked her up - I've never seen anything like that. Then I just went to work on her - bustin' her up, breakin' her down - you know? She finally broke in the fifth and I cleaned her up, but still: her corner shouldn't have let her come out for that much leather." So what's next for Missy? "I'm anxious to move up and test some lightweight girls. Speaking of Lilly's stable - they're all these swaggering, athletic types - I'd love to move up and handle Ali Larter's business - but I'll probably defend the belt a time or two first. Honestly, there's no one at 120 who can compete with me. I wouldn't rule out just abdicating to move up if no one's really pushing me any more."