Bermudez’s Opening-Round Power Took Bailey’s Belt in Ottawa
Evelin Bermudez stopped Sara Bailey in the first round of their light flyweight unification bout on September 20, 2025, at Hard Rock Casino in Ottawa. The technical knockout at 1:47 added Bailey’s WBA championship to Bermudez’s IBF and WBO titles at 108 pounds.
Two champions met with three belts on the line
Bailey entered unbeaten in six professional fights and was defending the WBA title. Bermudez arrived with the other two championships, making the scheduled ten-round contest a chance to consolidate the division.
The Canadian venue gave Bailey a home-country assignment against the experienced Argentine. Bermudez had already won a significant fight in Canada against Kim Clavel in 2023.
Right hands quickly turned the contest decisively
Bermudez attacked immediately and found openings with combinations. Bailey was knocked down, regained her feet and then faced another burst of heavy punches.
A further right hand sent Bailey down again. The referee stopped the bout before the opening round ended, preventing the championship contest from developing into the longer tactical battle its scheduled distance allowed.
The stoppage changed the division’s title picture
Bailey suffered her first professional defeat and lost the WBA belt. Bermudez left Ottawa holding three major championships after an unusually short unification encounter.
The result did not establish an undisputed champion, because the WBC title remained separate. It did, however, give Bermudez a larger share of the light flyweight championships through a decisive away victory built on early accuracy, repeated knockdowns and immediate follow-up offense.
Sources
- WBA: date, finish and championship change
- The 13th Round: three titles and two knockdowns
- Fajador: finishing sequence and previous Canada appearance
- United Promotions: event and championship matchup
Article Tags
Evelin Bermudez, Sara Bailey, Boxing
