World Cup Boxing on the Beach #3
Izabel Goulart vs Ivana Knoll
(Brazil vs Croatia)
(4-6, 4 KO vs 2-0, 2 KO)
Results: BBU; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: The beach boxing action continues at the World Cup and this time it's Izabel Goulart set to avenge the Selecao quarter-final loss as she takes on the Croatian rookie sensation Ivana Knoll on the Dubai beach. Third time is usually the charm but Knoll provided all the fireworks when she knocked out Ann-Kathrin Brommel and Sayuki Matsumoto so she might as well go all the way to emerge as a real contender going forward.

Izabel steals all the pre-fight headlines for a change and claims she will punch the Croatian brunette topless and bury her head in the sand: "It's obvious she had a great run so far but she's not that good! She will pay for her arrogance, just way too many interviews and fancy fan pics. Get real! Brazil has the best beach boxers in the world and I'm one of them!"

Over to Ivana who claims she got some tips from Alessandra Ambrosio whom she met during the World Cup quarter-final: "I learned all I needed to know from Alex! She battled Izabel for the #1 model status over in Brazil. Alex won majority of those fights and I'm gonna follow right through and knock Izzy's lights out! Let's get it on!"

Izabel Goulart wears a green & blue bikini set & yellow gloves. Long dark brown hair loose & straight. Ivana Knoll wears a red & white checkerboard bikini set with blue trim & blue gloves. Long black hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Both women are barefoot. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division.

Round 1:
Izabel gets down to business and knocks the Croatian model around the area, the steady jabbing assault is enough to neutralize the fan favorite early on but Goulart wants to knock her head off and that proves a little more complicated. Ivana dances around the sane trying to avoid the Brazilian rush and does a good job of that until she gets blasted on the boobs and wobbles onto the ropes half-way through the round. Izzy quickly mounts a hard uppercut blast on the rack before flicking a left hook on the jaw to drop Knoll into visible discomfort. All the media buzz is one thing but Ivana has to feel the wear & tear of a very busy month on the beach and Goulart clobbers her up the middle thereafter to run away with the artistic impression. She taunts the Dubai crowd into a louder reaction but Ivana remains the fan favorite for now...

Round 2:
Another hectic rush from the Brazilian model who buries her mitts into the exposed cleavage and makes Ivana look really vulnerable as she drills her boobs in superior fashion. Ivana swings back and tags the fellow brunette's chin a couple of times but finds the jug muggin' pounce too hot to handle and tries to find respite in mid-distance but Goulart smacks her on the solar plexus and shoves off balance moments later. Ivana grinds into a halt just as the older model NAILS her with a left cross on the mouth... she adds another hook from the right which Ivana takes on the eye... and DROPS TO HER BACKSIDE much to the crowd's chargin. Uh-oh!!! Izzy pounds her chest and claims she's about to terminate Knoll's World Cup hype but she needs to double down on her perfomance since the buxom Croatian gets up at seven and appears to be in good shape otherwise. Izzy barks at her and tries to knock her head off with a blitzing approach but she fails to land that desired haymaker and has to fend off a desperate clinching attempt from the younger opponent. Bell.

Round 3:
Izabel goes for another jug muggin' pounce as she realizes this is where Ivana appears to be vulnerable to say the very least. However the Croatian model is ready to embrace the heat this time and she manages to pick Goulart off to the body herself which leads into a hectic back & forth exchange eventually slowed down by a clash of heads. Ivana refuses to apply full-blown slugging protocol and Izabel taunts her with a mix of Portuguese & English but doesn't lure the European rival into an ill-advised attack. She cleans up Knoll's midsection with some quick harpoons and pins her onto the turnbuckle right at the bell but runs out of time to break her spirit and the loud crowd support keeps a big smile on Ivana's face during the interval.

Round 4:
Both models keeps trading quick punches in close range where Izabel wants to extend her advantage but she bounces off Ivana's forearms too often to make a clear difference yet she stays committed to the jug muggin' drill until Knoll smacks her over the top with a hard shot on the mouth and moves into a head-hunting attack that raises more noise around the Dubai audience. She sticks her mitts into Goulart's face and cuts her up below the left eye following a brutal series that bends the older brunette sideways. Ugh! Ivana cashes in with another hooking rally and dissects the Brazilian high guard sending Izabel back to the ropes where the slugging action continues with full steam ahead. Both women clatter into each other, Ivana ends up with a swollen lower lip but she adds another cut below the left eye and leaves Goulart fuming in anger at the bell. Ref steps in to separate the two models who exchange verbal insults for a while yet.

Round 5:
Ivana comes out hot and drills Izabel's rack to enforce her presence but she finds more success thumping an uppercut drive on the chin in short order. Izabel tries to smack her from the inside but begins to leak more punches on the chin and gets stuck in the sand while the younger brunette blows her up thanks to a supreme slugging delivery. She knocks Goulart's head back & forth before blasting a right hook on the ear. Uh-oh!!! IZZY IS HURT!!! The older model wobbles forward with a whimper and eats a brutal uppercut on the jaw that SENDS HER CRASHING DOWN ON THE SAND moments later!!! The Dubai audience errupts in joy while Ivana twerks her rack to add extra spice to her social media value. Meanwhile Izabel is slow to get up and appears to be still affected by that chin checker even as she beats the count at eight. She tries to find immediate response but Ivana outworks her with relative ease and clobbers back to the turnbuckle where she lands more hard shots into the Brazilian's face and leaves her on the brink of painful demise. Ugh! Another bad cut under the right eye drops Izabel into spasms and she cannot really defend herself anymore which prompts the ref to STEP IN and stop the fight half-way into the final minute. She's done it again!!! TKO5 Ivana Knoll in come-from-behind fashion!!!

AFTER: This was Ivana's hardest test so far but she passed it with a fine stoppage that left the Brazilian model nursing several bad cuts on her otherwise pretty face! The medical crew escorts the stunned Izabel off for some treatment while the victorious Croatian model claims she's not done with this World Cup boxing yet and challenges Belen Rodriguez into a semi-final contest for the ages: "I can totally go for another fight. I'm a little tired but it's been a sensational run for Croatia and myself so why stop now? Gimme one more!" (laughs).

Official Result: Ivana Knoll def. Izabel Goulart TKO5.