SAN FRANCISCO – Miyo Yoshida delivered about as good a performance Saturday as you could ask on less than two weeks’ notice.
The Japanese underdog landed the cleaner punches and out-worked Ebanie Bridges to upset the defending IBF bantamweight champion on the Regis Prograis-Devin Haney undercard at Chase Center. Japan’s Yoshida (17-4, 0 KOs) won a unanimous decision by scores of 99-91, 99-91 and 97-93.
Australia’s Bridges, 37, lost the IBF bantamweight championship she won when she outpointed Maria Roman unanimously in a 10-rounder that took place in March 2022 at First Direct Arena in Leeds, England. Bridges (9-2, 4 KOs) entered the ring as a 7-1 favorite, according to DraftKings sportsbook.
Yoshida, 35, made the most of an unforeseen opportunity she accepted even after losing a 10-round unanimous decision to Shurretta Metcalf (13-4-1, 2 KOs) on November 7 at Edison Ballroom in New York.
Yoshida replaced Bridges’ original opponent, Avril Mathie, on short notice because Mathie withdrew from the bout in late November due to an undisclosed injury.
By the time the 10th round began, it appeared clear that Bridges would need to knock out Yoshida to win. Bridges and Yoshida traded hard punches throughout a very competitive 10th round that drew a positive reaction from the crowd.
Yoshida let her hands go throughout the ninth round, when she landed various rights and lefts as she outworked a fatigued Bridges.
With Bridges backed against the ropes, Yoshida nailed Bridges with a right hand when there were just over 30 seconds on the clock in the eighth round. Bridges blasted Yoshida with a left hook, however, a few seconds before the eighth round concluded.
Yoshida and Bridges excited the crowd by trading hard punches in the opening minute of the seventh round. Bridges and Yoshida clinched throughout a competitive sixth round.
Yoshida drilled Bridges with a straight right with a little less than 10 seconds on the clock in the fifth round. She also hit Bridges with her right hand after the bell sounded to end the fifth round.
A right hand by Bridges briefly knocked an off-balance Yoshida between the ropes about 15 seconds into the fifth round.
Yoshida landed a right hand that made Bridges hold her while backed against the ropes with about 30 seconds to go in the fourth round. Yoshida snuck in another overhand right just before the bell sounded to end the fourth round.
Bridges and Yoshida landed left hooks in an exchange about a minute into the third round. A right hand by Yoshida landed a little less than 40 seconds into the third round.
Yoshida clinched Bridges multiple times during the second round, when Bridges landed several clean punches. Yoshida did connect with a right hand a few seconds before the second round ended, though.
Yoshida tied up Bridges late in the first round after taking a right hand.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.