𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

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World super-bantamweight champion Ellie Scotney is determined to make up for lost time and finally enjoy her delayed Christmas day with victory over Mea Motu on Saturday night.

Scotney (9-0) was set to face IBO title holder Motu in October until an injury forced the south London boxer to reschedule this bout until the final weekend of January.

It meant Scotney went through another fight camp with trainer Shane McGuigan, which stretched across the festive period and after last being in action in April, she cannot wait to step back in the ring at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.

Catford fighter Scotney told the PA news agency: “It was a hard decision, especially because I sacrificed my Christmas dinner, so there is a lot of frustration leading into Saturday night.

“I have still got my advent calendar for Christmas. It is sitting there and I need to open every 25 days. It’s been a nightmare!

“I’ve got quite a lot of nieces and nephews and I said Christmas Day we’re going to do on the 26th of January. So, I’ll be more out of pocket (then) but I’ll be in a food coma sitting with my unified titles. That’s the plan.

“It genuinely feels like my debut, it’s been that long! It has been a trialling period, but one that I have gained a lot and learnt a lot about myself. I am looking forward to that coming to light on Saturday night.”

A superb points decision win over Segolene Lefebvre at Manchester Arena in April earned Scotney the WBO and Ring titles to go with her IBF belt.

However, the prospect of another 2024 bout ended six weeks out from being set to face Motu on October 26.

Inactivity has frustrated Scotney ever since she turned professional in 2020 with the coronavirus pandemic the first setback, but this latest delay allowed her to focus on faith and the Crystal Palace fan got to share Sunday service with England international Eberechi Eze earlier this month.

“I’m Crystal Palace,” Scotney explained. “This is mad, I was in church and I looked and thought, ‘that’s Eze’, and it was the day he scored after four minutes (against Stockport).

“He was in church for Sunday service and I looked and thought he’s going to score (now). It was mad to see someone like him, in a place of worship and then he went on and scored. I am a big Eze fan, I’m not going to lie.

“A humble person and a god-fearing person.

“To look at him and know he still makes time for his faith in those moments, he is an inspiration too, so big up Eze.

“With the delay, I have taken the biggest blessing to be honest because in that time I have really grown my faith. Without that, I won’t say I would not be sitting here, but I would not be sitting here with a smile if that makes sense.

“I have taken so much contentment in finding myself again and that’s through God’s grace, so Saturday night is a time to deliver that. It has genuinely brought me to a place that I needed to go through.”

Scotney’s eyes are firmly set on extending the perfect start to her professional career with a 10th win on Saturday.

After experiencing the “best night” of her life with victory over former world champion Lefebvre in April, the 26-year-old will chase that feeling again and aim to become undisputed in the 122-pound division in 2025.

She added: “That night in April was genuinely the best night of my life. I have never had a feeling like that ever and I am looking forward to getting more of that, but I am not silly, I would never look past Saturday night.

“I am treating this as all that matters but the aim for this year is to become undisputed champion and that continues on Saturday.”