If Gabriela Fundora is serious about dropping down in weight, Evelin Bermudez did her part to narrow the selection field.
Another title was added to the collection of the 28-year-old Argentinean Bermudez, who wiped out the previously unbeaten Sara Bailey in the first round. Bermudez scored two knockdowns, the latter of which forced the stoppage at 1 minute, 47 seconds of Round 1 on Saturday evening on the road at Hard Rock Casino in Ottawa, Canada.
With the win, Bermudez, 22-1-1 (8 KOs), won the WBA 108lbs title and retained the IBF and WBO belts.
Bermudez hit the road for the fourth time in her career. Her lone previous win away from Argentina also came in Canada, where she edged Kim Clavel via split decision in October 2023 to lodge the first defense of her second reign as unified IBF/WBO titlist.
Bailey, 6-1 (0 KOs), entered the fight perfect as a pro and attempting her third defense of the WBA belt. A 31-year-old Canadian, Bailey claimed the title in a 10-round decision over Maria Gaudalupe Bautista last April 27 in Toronto. Wins over Anabel Ortiz and Cristina Navarro put her in the conversation among the sport’s top junior flyweights.
Bermudez quickly proved why she’s the best of them all, and on a night when perhaps her best and most lucrative challenge could be on the way.
Saturday’s unification bout was one-directional. Bermudez did not waste any time taking the lead and flexing her muscle. Already armed with five knockouts in title fights spanning two reigns, Bermudez walked down Bailey and put her on the canvas with a right hand.
Bailey made it to her feet but briefly staggered in reverse before she steadied herself just in time to convince the referee she could continue.
Bermudez took care of the rest with the very next exchange. A final right hand forced Bailey’s right leg to fold underneath her as she landed back on the deck. This time, the fight was waved off, as Bermudez dropped to her knees, grabbed her head and broke down in tears.
Bermudez’s win came on the same night where Fundora, 17-0 (9 KOs, 1 NC), extended her flyweight championship reign with a stoppage of her own. The unbeaten pound-for-pound entrant Fundora broke down Alexas Kubicki en route to a seventh-round knockout in Indio, California.
After the win, Fundora – who weighed just 110.25lbs – spoke about the possibility of either dropping down to junior flyweight or one day moving up in weight.
A move down would give Fundora an immediate shot at becoming a two-division unified champion – and perhaps even undisputed if Bermudez can line up the final chip.
The lone other titlist at 108lbs is Mexico’s Lourdes Juarez, who will defend her WBC title against countrywoman Yesica Nery Plata on October 18 in South Padre Island, Texas.
Nery previously held the WBC and WBA titles before she was forced to vacate due to pregnancy.
Bermudez had regained her IBF and WBO titles at the time, in a March 2023 unanimous decision win over unbeaten Tania Enriquez. The win came less than four months after she dropped a majority decision to three-division champ Yokasta Valle to end her first unified title reign.
The win over Bailey extended Bermudez’s current streak to five in a row since the narrow defeat to Valle. She also ran her record in major title fights to 11-1-1 (6 KOs).
