The English boxer triumphed over Yamileth Mercado to hold onto her super-bantamweight world titles at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, and paid homage to her 'dear friend' in her winning speech.
Ellie Scotney dedicated her unified world title victory on Friday to her late friend Georgia O'Connor
Boxing sensation Ellie Scotney dedicated her unified world title victory over Yamileth Mercado on Friday to her late friend and former boxer Georgia O'Connor following her tragic passing earlier this year.
The Englishwoman defeated her Mexican opponent via unanimous decision on the undercard of Taylor vs. Serrano III in what was arguably the fight of the night, earning judges scores of 98-92, 98-92, and 100-90 in her favor to add the WBC super-bantamweight title to her collection. It comes as Jake Paul lost his $1 million wager with Mike Tyson.
Immediately after her victory, Scotney paid tribute to O'Connor when handed the mic inside the ring at New York's Madison Square Garden. The 25-year-old sadly passed away following a battle with a "rare and aggressive" cancer just a fortnight after her wedding
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O'Connor was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) in October 2024 shortly after suffering a miscarriage. She boasted three national taekwondo titles under her belt and an untarnished kickboxing record, along with an undefeated professional boxing record of 3-0.
Her and Scotney became best friends after growing up together on the amateur boxing circuit, and the former vowed to fight on in her best friend's honor following her death. On Friday night, she did just that.
"It's been real testing the past few months as everyone knows, I lost my dear friend Georgia," Scotney said after beating Mercado. "Tonight was for her. Her dad's over here. I'd like everyone to give her a round of applause, she was 25 years old.
"She was a fighter and she lost her battle with cancer. But tonight I made sure her name was remembered in Madison Square Garden and that sums up my night."
For Thursday's weigh-in, Scotney turned up wearing a T-shirt bearing a picture of O'Connor in a tribute to her late friend. Following yesterday's bout, she described the night as one she'll "never forget" in a post on social media.
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