“I deserve Fighter of the Year!” Ellie Scotney delivered a jaw‑dropping ten‑round spectacle on Easter Sunday, out‑boxing Mayelli Flores in a bout that will be remembered as one of the most ferocious contests of 2026. After a relentless back‑and‑forth that left both athletes drenched in sweat, Scotney secured a unanimous decision, unifying all four major world championships at super‑bantamweight and becoming the youngest British undisputed champion in the modern four‑belt era.
Reflecting on the chaotic clash, Scotney described the fight as “ridiculous.” "We were trading blows almost every two seconds," she told Sky Sports. "Everyone expected someone to run out of steam, but the tempo never eased.
It was a barnstormer. I’ve always dreamed of being in a fight like that, and to cap it off with an undisputed title makes it even more special. Growing up watching those wild fights, to actually be part of one like this was wicked." The event was streamed via the NOW platform, offering a contract‑free viewing experience for boxing fans, and the weekly Toe2Toe podcast provided additional analysis for listeners. Viewers were advised to use the Chrome browser for the most accessible video player.
Scotney knew she had to seize the initiative in the second half of the bout. "In the sixth round she caught me with a flurry of shots against the ropes, and something clicked – I just went straight at her," the Catford native recalled.
"If you study her style, you see she starts strong and finishes strong. She was throwing a high volume, but the key was landing cleaner shots, especially on my end. It was a great fight to be part of." The match was brutal, but the road to the ring was equally taxing. Six weeks before the showdown, Scotney suffered a torn calf muscle, which forced her to abandon running altogether.
"You’re playing catch‑up," she admitted. Additional setbacks in training compounded the challenge. A nerve irritation in her arm flared up, and the inevitable weight‑cut to make super‑bantamweight proved to be a tight, grueling process.
"Little things went wrong in the gym as well. It was like, wow, your biggest fight and everything’s coming at once.
A nerve went in my arm, so that was playing up, even more happened before that and then obviously we know that getting to super‑bantamweight is a tight cut. What I had to endure just to get in that ring, and I fully mean that, it was mad. Boxing on resurrection Sunday I knew it would come at a cost and I had to really carry the cross in that week of fight week. It was testing," Scotney explained.
During the fight, the injuries resurfaced. "The calf acted up again in the fifth round, then my quads blew up, so I was standing opposite someone ready to attack every second… It was a long night," she remembered.
"To fight at that pace while dealing with camp issues was hard, but I prevailed on one of the greatest nights I’ve ever experienced." The victory brought an overwhelming sense of peace that eclipsed the physical pain. "The feeling that overtook all the aches and pains was just a peace I’d never had before. I feel like I’m floating," Scotney said, describing the emotional high that followed the hard‑won triumph.
Despite the monumental achievement, Scotney’s ambition remains unquenched. "There’s so much for me to learn, so much to do, and I’ve only had twelve fights," she noted.
The next logical step may be moving up in weight. "I’ve completed the collection, I’ve ticked off super‑bantamweight. I’ve been waiting to make the move for a long while. So I’ll sit down with the team and decide the next steps," she said.
At featherweight, the landscape is already stacked with champions: Amanda Serrano holds the WBO and WBA titles, Tiara Brown is the WBC champion, and Nina Meinke carries the IBF belt. "I’m a person that always wants a challenge and that always comes with a champion.
So I’m going to sit down with the team and see what steps are next," Scotney affirmed. "If I could, I’d go straight into another world‑title fight. I just want a challenge.
It lights something in me."