Aina Abbey, the WBF International Super-Flyweight champion, experienced her inaugural career defeat against the IBO Intercontinental and WBC Youth world Bantamweight champion, French Jeyssa Marcel, in a match that took place at the Zenith Metropole in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France, as reported by PUNCH Sports Extra.
The French fighter Marcel claimed victory over Abbey with a majority decision after eight intense rounds of their female bantamweight bout.
The match showcased undefeated fighters, with Abbey entering with an unblemished record of 11 wins and nine KOs, but now stands at a record of 11-0-1 post the defeat.
Marcel, aged 22, extended her unbeaten streak to 13 wins, including two KO victories.
Anticipating a challenging fight against her younger adversary, 27-year-old Abbey had conveyed to PUNCH Sports Extra ahead of the bout, “It is a challenging fight because she holds the top rank in her country within our weight class, and I am set to face her in her territory.”
Expressing discontent with the outcome, Abbey voiced her belief that she was unfairly treated during the match.
“I was dissatisfied with the result as they tilted the advantage toward her due to playing on her home turf, despite her being physically larger than me. During the weigh-in, she scaled 52.88kg while I weighed 50.8kg.
“The call for this fight came in merely three weeks ago, and she has been in training for over two months focusing on reducing her weight, from 59kg to 52.88kg. I strongly believe that I should have emerged victorious in the contest,” she shared with PUNCH Sports Extra.
Nonetheless, Abbey remains steadfast in her ambition to claim a world championship title, stating, “Despite feeling cheated, I will persevere unwaveringly towards my goal of becoming a world champion.”