Before: "Fighting Britney pays my training camp expenses for a year," Lilly reveals in prefight, "so there's good practical reasons to face her - but more than that...she's always been trouble for me. She's not a great ring general, but she's very cunning - with a style you don't see often. Offering her a non-title shot gives me a chance for pay-back that otherwise might not have come - plus the fighting will keep me sharper than sparring alone would. It's a win-win."

Spears addresses the lay-off risk at the podium: "I know I haven't been in the ring much," Brit admits, "but I've been spending the time getting back into real fighting shape. When you think about it, I took Evangeline apart when I was hardly at my best: coming at her in mint condition is going to really trouble her. I'll have options I didn't have back then, better stamina. I love my chances in this fight - that's why I'm coming back against Lilly. Beating her's going to put me right back in the thick of things where I belong!"

Lilly in evergreen bikini top - pink bikini bottoms; black gloves; ponytail. Britney in baby blue bikini, white gloves; hair in twisty beach bun.

During R1: Britney fades to ropes, digs in: she's set to rope-a-dope. Lilly eyes-narrowed, reading the front: she preps the area with a dose of jabs, touching both shoulders and blonde tummy before venturing in. Lilly: short, hacking strokes; bobbing on the spot; fighting off Britney's chest; attacking head/waist/flanks with snatching rips. Spears in earmuff - stooped forward, soaking it up, proving sturdy. Brit not triggering a lot of counters: she's dipping at the waist; rolling shots with shoulders; leaning side to side, back and forth...but not taking advantage of Lilly's misses. Britney tying up behind brunette elbows, cuddling Lilly for ref's breaks - but staying in the same spot rather than walking to fresh canvas. Evangeline attacking steadily, methodically - she ramps up the touches, effectively sheeting Britney in leather through 1.

R2: Same again, Britney shying to ropes, setting up pocket: Lilly advances to do work. Method to Britney's madness: she was passive in the first, just letting Lilly work...Evangeline not as wary as she should be as a result. NOW we're seeing Britney's cute, swatting-quick hands as she twists side to side - cuffing and clouting Lilly nifty little swipes. Brit with elbows in, blocking shots, then tucking back into Evangeline's breadbasket, or cuffing her jawlines: steady, clipping contact has Lilly flustered at minute mark. HARD, short right hand beats Lilly to the punch as Brit bends into it: Spears leaning forward into Evangeline, bodying her backwards while swiping a sneaky left up and across SENDS LILLY TO HER GLUTES! Evangeline smacked to her backside, shaking her head in wonder as Brit strides past: Spears brightening - winking at her corner as Plan A pays off. Resume: Spears over to offence, quickly bodying Lilly into ropes to secure, then tucking in tidy. GORGEOUS bump-n'-slug employed - Britney in there snug, nudging with shoulders - using chickenwing elbows to jostle - then she's snapping off vicious short-swipe lefts and rights. Spears rhythmically at Lilly - twisting into shots, bumping up on Evangeline, bouncing mitts off her. Evangeline staring, butt-in-ropes: she's a confused beauty, shipping the odd MONSTER uppercut in amongst lots of slapping, cuffing type attrition to flanks, ribs, arms. Bell: Spears breathing hard, but loving it: she pushes up off Lilly in exaggerated fashion, really making Evangeline take weight upon separation.

R3: Lilly visibly lumping up (all those head-turning uppercuts!) but alert off her stool: Britney frowning when she sees Evangeline's charging resolve at the open. Evasive maneuvers by Britney: she's hopping the perimeter - jugs a-jumpin' as she tries to leg away from pressure. Lilly scooting in pursuit - spitting out jabs to chest: she quickly cuts off the ring, hounding Spears to ropes. DIGGING assault on Britney's paunch - Lilly laying in mouth on shoulder and pumping lefts and rights: Spears groaning, clinching as she sits in ropes. Lilly wriggling, muscling clear of the grappline - she's squirming atop Britney's chest - working the body non-stop. Second minute sees Lilly come off the body with short, jerking right or left uppercuts - clipping Brit to chin, splitting the guard. Spears absorbing, looking punished: she's laying back against ropes, then stooping forward, trying to slip shots...but Lilly SO persistent about working her way into position. Evangeline moving her head from one blonde shoulder to the other - constantly plowing at Britney beef: hard three minutes beats Spears breathless, has her hugging a tired ribcage at the bell.

R4: Spears tries for circus-uppercuts midring - punches that once put Fishel on her back - but her timing's off: Lilly weaving the work, punching back to head with short, sharp right hands. Spears taking hard, slobberknocking blasts upside her head midring: she fades to ropes, hoping to draw Lilly in and smother her. Evangeline obliges, but not before prepping her opponent: jolting jabs to guard and midriff; curling, tight-circumference rights and lefts to either bicep as Britney's showing weary earmuff. Lilly tireless about her blonde - after the softening barrage - brunette reaches under Spears' arms, chests her into ropes, beginning to pummel her in earnest. Spears grimacing - right hand at left cheek, left across her tummy: she's stationary, just rolling/twisting her upperbody now as Lilly sets a murderous pace. OH THE PUNCHING! Evangeline unconsciously snarling, eyes feral: she's opened up the throttle, feet braced wide, compact body tense with effort as she rips and pounds at her blonde. Punches snatch at tanned blonde tummy; punches bounce off Britney's skull or jawlines; punches smash at arms, humble breasts. Spears sitting in ropes, drifting into stupor and THE REF STEPS IN! TKO4 Evangeline Lilly.

AFTER: Spears blinking, out of it - Lilly all heaving chest and flaring nostrils as she stalks away - pushing herself hard to overwhelm her clever quarry. "There's a fine line between rope-a-dope, and simply sitting there, taking a beating," A banged up, but exultant Evangeline says in postfight. "Tonight, I pushed Britney over that line. It IS possible to swamp her, but until now, I had no idea how hard I'd need to work, or how much volume I'd need to generate. Now I know, and don't think Ms. Spears will be a problem in future."