(Results: Lookout!, Words: Caspian)

3. Lily Collins vs Lili Simmons (FCBA Debut)

Lily:
(32, 5’5, 112, 44:14 FCBA, VIXENs)

Lili:
(28, 5’6, FCBA Debut, Free Agent)

BEFORE:
Lily bares her teeth at the barrage of questions thrown her way this early in the press conference, especially at the ones specifically mentioning a certain Saoirse Ronan as past opponent.

“Don’t you dare bring her name up again in my presence!” Collins snaps back at a reporter who asked (for the upteenth time) if she was planning a rematch. “Mark my words: I’ll take Ronan out the same way I did to Ana, and the same way I’ll treat Simmons tonight: to fists and plenty of punishment. You can’t take a win from me and not expect any retribution.”

Lili Simmons, on the other hand, makes her FCBA debut tonight. The American actress is growing in popularity on-screen, more well-known for her roles in shows such as Gotham and the Purge. She doesn’t look too bothered by the fact that this fight will mark her first foray into the squared circle.

“Looks like Collins is a little unhinged. That’s surely going to throw off her game. Look, I get it. Lily’s spent more time inside the ring than outside of it. Just ask yourself when’s the last time she’s starred in anything good on screen? And yes, everyone agrees with me that Emily in Paris was absolutely horrendous.”

“I’m just here to have a good time,” Lili continues with a smile. “I have nothing to prove tonight, but to myself: that I can fight, act and kick ass.”

Ladies square off at the podium and for a first-time meeting, you can already cut the tension in the air with a serrated steak knife. Lili’s sporting a slightly bulkier figure and height advantage, and each time Collins ventures her fortunes in any other division but Flyweight, she’s gotten her ass handed to her. Here, she tries not to look too intimidated at the staredown, both ladies cocking their fists high and pushing their foreheads close for the cameras.

Later, in the ring, Lily’s rearing to go in a violet-pink bikini, dark cherry gloves on either hand. Her opponent, Lili, looks equally hyped in her corner, bouncing up and down and smashing her gloves together when her name is announced to the Hard Rock crowd. The blonde actress is wearing a white sports bra and sharp red trunks, rounding off the debuting ensemble with a pair of midnight black gloves. The referee waves this fight to start, and HERE WE GO with ten rounds of Lily-on-Lili Bantamweight action!

ROUND 1:
Lily makes short work of the newbie to begin, wading in fast and kicking off the action with a flurry of punches directly to Lili’s arms. It’s almost always the case when old meets new, or a rookie gets to test herself against an experienced fighter. Only this time, Lily is in no mood to lose as she tests her opponent’s defences out early: more blasting shots sent to the arms to throw Simmons this way and that, before the Vixen reaches under the rookie’s arms and snags her with body shots. Lili’s slightly bigger bulk is going to help her survive this early damage, but still, the American needs to do something unless she wants to get hammered and hounded for the rest of this fight. She scares Collins off later on when some vicious swings are thrown back suddenly, out of the blue, hoping to catch Collins on the chin with a lucky hook or overhand. But Lily’s too alert for this, too early, taking some bashes to her arms and side of the head but not suffering any lasting damage, for now.

ROUND 2:
Lili’s learning to rely on her power, as she takes the fight to the Vixen at the opening bell! Lily was probably expecting another blowout performance for herself as she strode forth moments earlier, instead getting STUNNED by a step-in cross delivered straight to her arms, Lili forcing her back with more follow-up swings high and low. Collins may be more experienced in there, but she knows if she gets caught by any of those power attacks, she’s as good as done for. Collins spends the next minute swerving and keeping her body out of the way, allowing Simmons to run her own stamina down the clock. Still, the blonde’s reach and renewed aggression allows her to get some good shots in, bashing off Lily’s forehead and further throwing her back with a loud yelp to end the round in her favour.

ROUND 3:
Bad news for Collins, who was hoping to bounce back easily after that devastating loss to Saoirse Ronan. Her fellow namesake’s not giving her any chances to, however, as Simmons gets into the groove of this dominance thing. The American blonde lands another stiff shot to Collins’ guard, over and over seeking that elusive chin but content to go after her body instead. Lily’s left grunting but growling at the thought of letting this newcomer bully her about the ring, and in the last minute, she at least attempts to keep her distance. But another overhand swing puts an end to that when Lili ROCKS her to the top of her head, which sends Collins spiraling off into the ropes! AND HERE COMES SIMMONS, hoping to score her first KO of her career! Lily groans as she’s folded over repeatedly and into the blonde’s arms, Lili like a snarling firefly RUSHING in to pummel and pounce on her vulnerable foe! There’s still a lot of refinement to be made for the rookie, but she knows how to take advantage of a wide-open situation indeed! Bell rings and the referee has to step in and peel Lili off her prey, with Collins left gagging on the ropes and hugging her midsection, both legs shaky but still straightened. For now, at least!

ROUND 4:
Collins tries to regroup, and though she may lack the power in many of these Bantamweight encounters, the Vixen knows how to keep herself alive and in the fight. She skirts the ropes this time round, using practiced footwork to evade Lili’s charges, then scores off her arms and chin with lightning jab combos. Lili’s probably wondering what the hell happened to her early lead, especially from that last dominant round, now getting socked to the face even as she tries to pin Collins down against the ropes for seconds. That’s precisely the problem: Simmons doesn’t realise there are more ways to win a fight than charging your opponent down and going to town on her. Collins nails another defensive jab, begins to mount up damage on Lili’s face, earning her another loud grunt when a glove catches her clean on the lips. Collins buys herself some screen time here, the bell leaving both ladies panting hard but not ready to go down without a fight.

ROUND 5:
Simmons shows off plenty of fighting spirit, however, picking up her chase immediately as the bell rings. The twenty-eight-year-old may be making her debut performance tonight, and some would say that’s ten years too late for a fighter to find her footing, but hey, stranger things have happened - just ask Avril Lavigne, who recently challenged for the Flyweight title, or Kate Beckinsale, who took her final step close to fifty into the Hall-of-Fame. Lili’s aggression pays off after another full minute of chasing Lily down, rocking the Vixen with a lucky hook to the arms, which almost melts Collins there and then. Lily’s looking groggy as f*ck but stumbles back into the ropes to keep herself upright. She lowers her guard to block another incoming hook to her body, but it’s A FEINT FROM SIMMONS, who capitalises on the Vixen’s mistake with another nasty HOOK sent high across her chin! AND DOWN COLLINS GOES, getting torn off her hinges as she crashes down to the canvas!! It’s the first KNOCKDOWN of Lili Simmons’ career, and what a KO attempt it is! Simmons is already leaping up and down on her way back to her corner, thinking she might have already won her first ever fight. But not so easy, Collins says in return, the British actress already seen grunting her way back up to her knees, then pushing the rest of her body up one foot at a time. Referee resumes the fight after he makes sure Lily’s back on two steady feet by the count of 7! And here we go with another five rounds!

ROUND 6:
So far, so good for the rookie blonde! She’s outperforming some of Lily’s past adversaries, and looking like she may actually win this fight! Lili grins firmly at Lily’s direction, thinking all it’s going to take is another quick shot to her chin to ragdoll the Vixen. Bell rings and HERE SHE COMES, Simmons rushing in like a fat dude at an all-you-can-eat buffet, hoping to catch Lily while she’s barely out of her corner with a wild overhand swing! BUT IT MISSES, with Collins having planted her feet at the oncoming tide and suddenly PIVOTING to one side, her head and torso slipping around the attack like it’s nothing! Look of SHOCK on Lili’s face as she takes a mouthful of leather in return, Lily squaring her shoulders before TORQUING that hook into her lower jaw and lips, before another swing connects with the blonde’s chin to send her head and body SPIRALING DOWNWARDS! Good lord! It’s a one hell of a return KNOCKDOWN in the first minute of the sixth!

Never underestimate Lily Collins, is what they say, and the wiley Vixen looks set to reverse her fortunes here, as she nods curtly at her handiwork, before returning to the neutral corner to recuperate. Meanwhile, Simmons is lying on the ground in tatters, squirming and groaning for the first half of the count, not knowing where the f*ck she’s at. She does finally find the ropes, however, and begins her slow ascent back to her feet. Plenty of spirit in this newcomer, who simply REFUSES to go down to the former champ. Fine by Collins, who’s already back in her fighting stance the moment the referee clears Simmons to go for another two minutes on the clock!

AND HERE WE GO! Tables turned now, as Simmons has to fight off an overexcited daredevil in Lily Collins, who STRIDES in with practiced malice! Lili’s rocked by a series of well-timed hooks sent crashing into her arms, her pale tummy taking more abuse left and right as the Vixen alternates her swings as though she’s back at the gym and training on the speed bags! A final tuck to the tummy has Simmons BOWLED over in shock, her legs wobbling and just about ready to go down. Before Lily can take a final swing at her chin, the referee LEAPS in to stop this massacre! And it’s OVER in TKO fashion!

Official Decision: Lily Collins defeats Lili Simmons via TKO6!

AFTER:
“I’m the one and ONLY Lily!” Collins heard shouting into the air in the immediate aftermath, receiving a loud ROAR from the rafters.

The Vixen beats her chest and runs about all four corners of the ring, before settling on a spot near her own. There’s a smirk on her face and glint of evil in her eyes, but post-fight shenanigans don’t manifest this time round, with Collins later bragging to reporters: “Blondie here ain’t worth it.”

Simmons, on the other hand, just got schooled by a more experienced player in the ring. The odds were always stacked against her, of course, and it’s a small miracle she managed to not only get up from one of Lily’s knockdowns in the sixth, but also to score a knockdown attempt of her own in the fifth round.

She’s trying hard to hold her balance in her corner and turnbuckle, nodding and shaking her head at the questions from her fight team. Once Collins takes her leave, the rest of her fans in the arena grow bolder, give Simmons a standing ovation of their own, congratulating her for her tenacity and grit shown in tonight’s contest. Regardless of the outcome, we hope the American actress makes another appearance in the ring soon enough!