Hannah Rankin Clinches Vacant WBA, IBO World Titles

Scotland’s Hannah Rankin (11-5) has beaten veteran Maria Lindberg to claim two vacant junior middleweight world championships.

She earned the win via unanimous decision at Tottenham Hotspur Banqueting Hall on Friday night. She has now become the first Scottish female world champion in boxing history.

Rankin seemed confident of the win before the showdown.

“I’ve had excellent sparring with people like Chantelle Cameron and (current world champion) Kali Reis, I just can’t wait to get in there now,” she said.

The 31-year-old is a direct descendant of the famous McGregor clan.

“Scottish people love a good fight, that’s in my history as well as in my blood,” she continued.

Rankin entered the fight as a third-ranked junior middleweight by Ring magazine.

Lindberg, 44, entered the fight with a 19-7-2 (10KO) record.

Discussing the fight, the veteran said: “This challenge is nothing different from every other challenge I’ve had, I always take them very seriously.”

“This challenge is nothing different from every other challenge I’ve had, I always take them very seriously,” said Lindberg of this fight.

The Swede has had a tough life outside of the ring, but you will rarely see her making excuses for the few losses she has suffered. In 1999, Lindberg was banned from fighting in her home country after she suffered a brain hemorrhage.