Before: Tense fight, beautiful fight: women see each other as key launching pads to bigger opportunities. "Smash her," Elisha says of her plans for Carmella. "Simple, direct. I remember when Jolene Blalock was the division badass...I smoked her as hard as I could, and she was never the same. That's what I want to do to Carmella. I move on: she fades away." Decesare alert: Elisha's intensity obviously has Carmella's attention. "It's going to be a hard fight - harder than people realize," Carmella says. "We're so different in every way - I'm feeling her threat, and I'm sure she's feeling mine. If she needs to pump herself up with thoughts of hurting me, that's fine - I don't need to go there. I need to know I'm fitter, smarter, better prepared, and more determined. Once I get those emotions together, I'm calm coming in, and I know I'll give Elisha the fight of her life."

Carmella in pink HMK bikini with little white belt; white gloves. Elisha in midnight blue bikini, white gloves. Smouldering staredown - Carm gazing down, Elisha glaring up.

During R1: Carmella rangy - elbows in close to hips, hands out front, waist high. Her goal: wait on Elisha, walk her in, then lick her a stiff left uppercut while wheel-pivoting left around a dug-in left heel, or a ringing right uppercut while pivoting-right around the planted right heel. Carm falling off to either side, loping around her stocky foe after biting connects. Elisha driving forward, crouching, then pouncing - lead right hands and swinging hooks sweeping viciously for Carmella's chin. Glorious stuff - Decesare angular, bendy-backed as she pivots and leans away, crisply tugging on Elisha's chin via uppercuts, then turning to the side. Carmella's wide, lanky stance: Elisha's bobbing, her choppy little approach steps, then sudden bursts - all very kinetic. Net results: Carmella landing several ripping uppercuts - from either hand - bingo on Elisha's chin. Cuthbert absorbing all - bashing loudly against Carm's ribcage in reprisal; coming up short when swinging for lithe brunette's head.

R2: Change of tack, Carm: she leans forward, weight on left (lead) leg, right heel up off canvas - looking for jagged, systematic left uppercuts. Biting contact - Elisha clipped to chin and chest - Decesare springy with her shots, then pivoting left, maintaining forward aspect, jabbing to reset. Cuthbert bulling through - stiff-jabbing Carmella's chest, then swinging over a palm-down, sidearm right with vicious intentions. Decesare bobbing down or leaning herself well back: Elisha's furious clouts all potential fight-enders. Carm making her blonde miss, then cashing in: again and again, Elisha's chin takes a clipping...SHE'S DOWN! Minute in, accumulation of clean, ripping left uppercuts wobbles Elisha, then drops her to all fours: she's woozy, astonished as Carmella slides by all breezy. 2 minutes left: Carmella gets after her girl lanky. Deech moving from the left uppercut stance to extending her left to push at Elisha's chest, measuring her for rifling, drilling right hands to face and forehead. Easing into Elisha, Decesare pushes, then pivots round, turning Cuthbert, moving her feet. Deech easing to her back (right) foot, whip-snapping her left hook around; leaning back in on left foot, Carm's slinging home hard right hands, punching Cuthbert's face as poor Elisha's reaching her own right hand out. Stunning shutout Carmella Decesare - she ranges around her shabby blonde, slashing and licking her senseless in a majestic second.

R3: Cuthbert SO willfull: all busted up and hurt, but she presses forward, pounding a right hand straight to Decesare's breasts. Carmella loping back from pressure, turning lithe to her right, curving back in: she snarls as she bends in a supple one-two, kissing the mitts off Elisha's shiny face. Easing to right (back) leg, Carmella whips a vicious palm-up left hook across Cuthbert's jaw: blonde instantly wobbly butt, stumbling around in swoon. Carmella heartless - reaching her left hand to touch at Elisha, then leaning in to drill that straight, elastic right: wet spank pounds back Cuthbert's face, buckling her knees. Cuthbert powers out of it, managing to keep her feet...she stumbles forward in stupor, eating licking right and left uppercuts as Carm retreats in loping slide-steps. Decesare turns right at the ropes, steering Carmella past her: sweeping sidearm right hand claps Cuthbert's left ear, sending her face first into ropes. Elisha in delirium, but fighting on instinct - she turns, bulls forward, trying to close distance as Carmella lopes easily out of range. Deech stops, walks Elisha into a vicious straight right hand; shifts weight to right leg to slide that palm-up hook across, taking Elisha under her chin. Gorgeous, whippy snap on these shots - Carmella's legs and supple back powering bandy-armed licks...it's all too much. Cuthbert careening to her right, trips over her own legs, sprawls to her back. She's sobbing, distraught, shuddering as she takes a moment to lie there, hands at her sides, staring into lights. Elisha struggles up - she beats the count, but the ref can't let it continue. TKO3 Carmella Decesare in savage fashion.

After: Carmella allowing herself one long glance as Elisha breaks down in the official's grasp: Decesare thrilled, but not one to dwell on Elisha's heartbroken blubbering. Tremendous, decisive victory for the lanky wonder: veteran playmate really solidifying dark horse status with this surprising, slick performance.