Boxing on the Beach from Dubai
Nabilla Benattia vs Malika Menard
(BBU Independent vs Foxfire Atlantic Boxing)
(3-2, 3 KO vs 24-7, 19 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: This fight was supposed to crown the Bastille Day festivities last year before the COVID pandemic rendered those plans moot. We've changed the setting from Cannes to an unknown location in Dubai - a place which Nabilla Benattia calls home these days. However Malika Menard is by far & away the bigger name on the BBU landscape and arrives in the Emirates as clear betting favorite: "I hope to roll back the years and dominate the European boxing scene again! I can't believe Nabilla is viewed as the better prospect after doing nothing for several months! Spare me the COVID excuse! She's kinda all washed up as glorified beach bunny who sunbathes for a living! Sheesh... I'm gonna stick her face down on the sand until she chokes!"

Nabilla has actually done a little more than sunbathing over the past twelve months - including a host job of French 'Love Island' show but she can barely hold her nerves when two girls are brought forward to finally settle the national Tres Colores feud. BBU TV's Georgie Thompson believes there's more at stake than just personal pride and it's no wonder the two dark-haired stunners refuse to touch gloves here.

Nabilla Benattia wears a black bikini set & red gloves. Long black hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Malika Menard wears a yellow bikini set with blue & green trim & white gloves. Long dark brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Both fighters are barefoot. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division.

Round 1:
Both girls sprint across the sand and begin to throw immediate jabbing assault at each other where Malika gets the better of the younger brunette and scythes her lips before blasting a nasty left hook on the temple. Nabilla drops to the side with a whimper and finds herself in retreat mode as Malika ploughs ahead with more meaningful leather. She bangs a high-tempo series on Benattia's mouth before dropping a bomb in the breadbasket which slumps the younger woman into spasms outright. Another left/right drive pummels Nabilla onto the ropes where she clinches Menard at first but gets shoved off before too long and Malika resumes the point blank range pounding! She spins Nabilla to the side and gets vocal as she drives more leather into her boobs; Benattia slumps on the turnbuckle and just cab't stop the former champion from cleaning the house as the first round ends with Malika yelling out in delight!

Round 2:
Dubai might be Nabilla's new home but she's getting blasted into a standstill early in the second again as the former Miss France rallies into a commanding position and beats the fellow brunette to the punch from both flanks. Nabilla tries to hang on in the slugging drive but just can't halt Menard's charge and wobbles to her heels as Malika whacks her on the chin thereafter. Nabilla yields real estate and hugs the ropes come the second minute with Malika piling more pressure up the middle. She clips Benattia's chin before a late switch downstairs stuffs the model even further. Ugh! Nabilla wobbles forward but instead of clinching the fellow brunette she only meets a crunching uppercut on the jaw before Menard slams a right cross on the nose to FOLD NABILLA ONTO HER KNEES just before the bell. Cue in more taunting as the ref pushes Malika away while Nabilla stays down on all fours to soak up the standard eight count. She eventually gets up just on time and the clock expires moments later anyway to prevent a looming disaster.

Round 3:
Malika gets up early for the third and blows the jabbing gasket as she tries to finish the seemingly vulnerable opponent right here and right now! Nabilla spends the first minute in constant retreat before showing some poise to answer back in slugging fashion as Menard loses her temper and slams a low shot into the groin. Ugh! Nabilla headbutts the older woman in the chest as things suddenly go haywire and before the ref can step in Nabilla crushes a left hook on the jaw to stun her rival into spasms. Ugh! Here comes the response... but goes over the model's head and Benattia rips another crossing series to punish the exposed chin and send Menard backwards. Malika gets stuck in the sand and is late to push off as Nabilla bangs her on the lips and clobbers back to the turnbuckle where both women wrestle for supremacy amid more foul French language. Bell.

Round 4:
Nabilla picks up the jamming steam and keeps punishing Malika from the inside which even catches Georgie T. in the BBU TV booth by surprise. Back & forth slugging action continues into the second minute as Menard's head-hunting attack becomes too predictable to maintain its success and Nabilla picks her off with more nifty shots from the inside before both women settle for another clinch in the center of the ring. Nabilla actually tries to lift the pageant winner off the sand and drops her on her bums but she only succeeds into dragging herself onto the ropes where Menard hauls in some gut shots but fails to escape the phone booth jam as Benattia cracks another nasty hook on her lips right at the bell.

Round 5:
Both women kick more sand as they scamper across the loose surface and this time it's Nabilla who wins the initial exchange as she blasts Malika on the boobs and gives her a sudden dose of jug muggin' galore. Malika lands a couple of uppercuts in response but then gets pierced with a right-handed stinger as Benattia tackles the solar plexus as well. Menard wobbles to her heels but refuses to back off and gets punished for her stubborn decision. Nabilla beats her for an overhad swing and rattles a left/right drive on the brow ridge that slumps the older brunette into spasms. Malika can't stretch her elbows in time and gets blasted across the mouth which sends her reeling onto the ropes where Benattia traps her in more jabbing frenzy to secure the round on points.

Round 6:
More heavy slugging from both brunettes and Nabilla carries her wrath with better results as she nails the former champion on the nose a couple of times before looping a nasty hook on the temple. Malika sags on her heels but rips a left cross to burst her foe's lips into jelly yet Benattia belts her on the solar plexus again and Menard begins to feel the heat... she stumbles to the side and gets blasted up the chimney as Nabilla works the uppercut magic before she slips another belting stinger on the exposed liver... Malika leans forward to clinch the fellow brunette but Benattia SMOKES her with a brutal uppercut on the chin that DROPS MENARD ONTO THE BACKSIDE!!! Ugh! That was a proper power punch that leaves Malika squealing in pain... she gets up at seven but fails to stop the Benattia bull rush and eats another uppercut dose that splits her high guard with ease... uh-oh!!! Malika stumbles back and eats a cripping shot on the ear, her legs go numb and she wobbles forward into a killswitch hook on the chin that sends her gumshield flying out!!! DOWN GOES MENARD AGAIN!!! This time the older brunette crashes down on her side with eyes closed and slumps into destruction daze as the merciless count eventually passes her by! KO6 Nabilla Benattia in come-from-behind fashion!!!

AFTER: Nabilla yells out in delight and begins to shout at the fallen opponent; Georgie Thompson's French isn't good enough to provide the translation but one should understand the message without the subtitles! Nabilla plants her foot on top of Malika's hip before kicking some sand over her limp body. Let's just hope the former lightweight champion didn't suffer a broken jaw here because she got smoked by a nasty power punch there in the end. Nabilla doesn't care much about that and BBU fans must be wondering if she's ready to become the new beach boxing queen now that she's based in Dubai full-time?

"I'm ready to welcome more lousy, arrogant and overrated bytches into my home! Come and frickin' get me!", Nabilla's response on social media indicates she's here to stay indeed! Game on!

Official Result: Nabilla Benattia def. Malika Menard KO6.