Before: "It is an honor to compete with Natalie," Virginie says at the podium. "She is the best of the Americans - very smart, very determined. Beating her takes everything a woman has, and that's how I want to defend my belts: by facing and beating the very best." Portman snubbing Gellar to take up the title chance - total change in pre-fight tone as a result. "It's refreshing to compete against a woman who just wants to test her skills and respects me as much as I respect her," Natalie says. "This is what a championship contest should be - just the chance to see who's better one-on-one, without all the extra garbage. Gellar's a vicious little hag who I can fight anytime I want to: she'll wait her turn while I take on the best fighter in the division." Virginie in mauve bikini, small black work out gloves; long brown curls drawn back by a pretty celtic crown-braid. Natalie in navy bandeau bikini, small white work out gloves; hair back in scruffy beach bun.

During R1: Natalie pitchin' - scooting in close, weight on her right foot, punching body with so much two-handed vigour her lead (left) foot's almost skidding up off canvas! VIRGINIE'S GUT-BUSTED! French vixen stunned, soaking it up to ribs and tummy - Natalie in there battin', elbows in, drumming TUP! TUP! TUP! TUP! TUP! of small mitts beats against yummy French torso. Furious opening barrage ends as Nat hops left - poking a stubby straight right to the right side of Virginie's face. Another hop-right - another pokey right to Ledoyen's jaw, then another. Virginie stumbling, wide-eyed - she turns square to target, lifting her mitts to ward off a rapid-batting series of lefts and rights to her skull. Nat hops left, clawing her hook across Virginie's breasts - then steps back, hops left, circles back in with more batting ribcage work. Ledoyen beaten breathless to ropes - she sits in cables, earmuffs up and sponges as Natalie lathers frothy for big points in the first.

R2: Portman pouncing: Virginie adjusting. Ledoyen slugged her way to victory over Sarah Carter: French vixen shows her versatility by sliding back, dragging her left (lead) foot and walking Nat onto the jab. Good stiff poke - Ledoyen circling casually to her left, piecing out left jabs, occasionally scouring Natalie a right cross/hook combo off it - Portman kept well to the outside. Nat encroaching, looking to get feisty, but she's reduced to a few expensive rushes up the middle, eating Virginie's intercept-punches for the chance to wail away in combination. Firm second a champion's rebuke to her challenger.

R3,4: Similar rounds to the second: Ledoyen circling, being the shrewd, patient boxer/counterpuncher - inducing Natalie to take all the risk. Portman making the fight - walking Virginie down and flurrying to her ribs with ratatat vigour - but Ledoyen's jab punishing Nat on the way in, setting her up for rigid rights and lefts at closer ranges. Natalie taking a good punch, but being controlled - Virginie's managing tempo and distance beautifully on Portman through 4.

R5: Natalie adjusts - changing level with more dramatic head movement, stooping low and jabbing to Virginie's tummy. Portman hopping to either side, feinting Ledoyen, getting the French vixen to loosen up: Ledoyen starting to throw and miss as opposed to tagging Nat at will. Nat having some luck with a step-right; lead right poke; straight left poke; straight right poke - choppy little short shots tapping at Virginie's face, driving the French woman backward with her hands up. Ledoyen unhurt, but getting outworked, out-touched as Portman rights the ship.

R6: Virginie turns slugger - Portman's turn to be cutey-pie counter-puncher. Natalie's footwork exquisite - she's feinting V, sidestepping her, stepping out and walking the block - Ledoyen usually at a bad angle or out of position all together. Nat walking aggressive Virginie onto jabs, then fading away before Ledoyen can close - good nimble will-o'-the-wisp stuff. Ledoyen not shutout, but her connects are usually at least partially blocked, or blunted by Portman rolling the punch - V just can't get firm leather on Nat in the 6th.

R7: Portman sails into Virginie - Natalie POURING it to startled French guts as Virginie ships it to body again. Nat in there close, weight on right foot as she beats and bats at French torso - Portman with elbows in, teeth bared, generating furious torque on the opening barrage. Ledoyen grunting in pain, covering up: Nat scoots left - pokes that weird, straight right hand from the odd angle, splitting Virginie's mitts to score on face. Nat bounds backward, bounces off ropes, steps to her right - very quick, nimble and aggressive - using geometry to take Virginie apart. More quick-hitting, chopping combos - this time directed at Virginie's head and shoulders: French vixen able to cover up and block alot of this, but she can't get off against it. Down the stretch, Nat retreating, feints Virginie as Ledoyen's stepping forward, then pokes her a lead right stubby on the mouth - bounding back out of range as Ledoyen's late on the receipt. Frisky 7th to Nat - she inches ahead on the cards.

R8: Portman attempts to gut-shock Virginie again: Ledoyen won't have it. TORRID toe-to-toe - both girls baring teeth, squinting eyes with the effort of hup-hup-hupping to one another's slender ribcages. Brutal, wonderful stuff - non-stop shellack being dished out as first one, then the other advances under heavy fire. Fight ranges the ring as girls are constantly at each other's bodies, but Natalie eventually breaks off: mouth open, eyes wincing. Ledoyen hops-to, looping hard right hands at Natalie's head: Portman ducking fast, reels away off balance as Virginie storms forward. Natalie running the final 30 seconds - Ledoyen establishing her heft, gets the better of a punishing 8th.

R9: Portman pumps jabs - stepping left as she spritzes head, head, body, head. Ledoyen encroaching, hands up, parrying poke - she's following, not getting off as Natalie retains initiative. Portman feinting again, stepping back, walking Virginie onto that pokey lead right: cute, nippy punch not heavy, but it's very startling and eye-catching, tapping loudly against Virginie's face. Nat circling, then edging in with chopping pokes and pecks - straight rights and lefts designed to suppress Ledoyen punching rather than hurt her outright. Virginie blocking well with a high guard, but getting outworked: Natalie's showing Pete Rose style hustle tonight - feet, hands, head in constant motion.

R10: Portman feints, hops-to, bats away PIK! PAK! PEK! to Virginie's ribcage with another torrid flurry. Ledoyen cramping - dukes at temples as she grunts forward, sopping it up: she finally answers a wan hook, missing as Natalie scoots-right. Jab knocks at Virginie's cheek; Nat hops back, right hand cocked - Ledoyen hinky, doesn't walk-in this time. Natalie feinting, stepping to either side, coming in off her jab to chop and poke away in brisk tic-tac-toe combos up top: Virginie grimacing, blocking a good deal of it, but clearly being doused in leather at this point. Late the round, champ makes a brave bid to force the issue, charging up the middle: Natalie fading back, feints, walks Virginie onto that pokey lead right, gets it again while sidestepping right, then turns it into an outside-in right uppercut to clip Virginie HARD to chin as she's turning. Ledoyen scattering backwards to ropes, rung up and hurt; Natalie pounces, scrubs an insurance shoe-shine back and forth across Ledoyen's jugs as bell chimes. Comes back UD10 for the winner and NEW flyweight champ - Natalie Portman.

After: Exquisite boxing match with a little something for everyone - Natalie turns in one of her peskiest, chippiest, friskiest performances in upending the French champion. Ledoyen crying as her belts are removed from her corner, but Natalie quick to console her - Portman with an arm around Virginie's shoulders takes a moment to chat with and encourage the French Phenom. "I wasn't going to be denied tonight," a happy, beaming Natalie says in postfight. "I knew how tough and crafty Virginie was, but I just challenged myself not to accept defeat tonight. I felt super-quick and agile - my legs were as good as they've ever been, and I think the tempo discouraged Virginie a little bit. She's so tough and brave, I knew right away I couldn't knock her out, so I just boxed to touch her up." Natalie Natalie - what about a rematch? What about Gellar? "I know everybody wants to see if I can take Virginie down twice - nobody else has this year, so that's something to think about. When I win a title, I do like to christen it with a Gellar-beating - so THAT'S something to think about. Then there's all these up and coming young blondes who are so fresh and exciting that I really want to test them with a title on the line. So it's a LOT to consider guys - you'll just have to wait and see what my team comes up with."