It's showtime!

The fight night starts and while Lawan is at first interested in the event, it soon becomes clear that she has no interest in the **** of it. Whenever a fighter is cut and bloody or on the ground getting badly beaten, Lawan turns away from the action and hides her face in against my chest. Still, she is enjoying being out. Another round of drinks during an intermission and Lawan is getting more and more into it. Cheering along to the fighters as they are introduced by the ring announcer.

As we move along to the main fight card and out of the preliminary bouts, the sceptical is further enhanced by ring girls during the introductions and between rounds. A pair of tall models, one blonde and one brunette, in short shorts and crop tops holding signs up for any one in the crowd struggling to count to three.

“See Lawan. That’s something you could do,” I say to her.

“No way! Those girls are heaps prettier and much taller than me,” she laughs at the suggestion.

She’s got me on the taller part. Lawan is a good bit smaller than her sister Piya but she is every bit as pretty as they are.

“Size isn’t everything. Just wait until you see Natty fight.” Having met her opponent Kelly, Natty is going to be at a size disadvantage in her fight. “And you are every bit as gorgeous as those girls are.”

Lawan looks up at me with eye sparkling, “you really think so?”

“Of course, I do.”

“What bit do you like?” Lawan asks, stepping back so I can view her properly and holding out for specifics.

“Well your dress looks pretty,” I offer.

“That’s Piya’s. I borrowed it for tonight.”

I realise I’m going to have to give details about her. “Your make up is perfect. Your hair is lovely. Your smile, your eye, all of it. You are so cute it not funny.”

“I don’t want to be cute. I want to be sexy,” she pouts then.

I laugh and pull her close as if I am telling her a secret. “You have a sexy little bum.”

Haven’t gotten out of me what she wants she goes all coy, “you looked at that?”

“Of course, I did,” and give her a little smack on the ass which gets a shriek.

After one more fight which Lawan watches in its entirety this time, we come to the co-main event of the evening and the one we’ve come for. Lawan jumps up and down when the music comes on for the fighters to walk out. Kelly is out first and makes her way to ring just past us again. Her face is a mask of intense focus, her eyes not straying one inch from the ring. Lawan whistling is almost deafening in my ear as Kelly walks past. Kelly climbs through the ropes and begins a restless hopping from one foot to the other as she waits for her opponent to arrive.

Natty’s music comes on and it all South American drums and makes me think of Carnival. Natty is much more relaxed as she comes to the ring followed out by my instructor and two other cornermen. Natty slaps the hands of the audience members as she makes her way to the ring. As she walks past Lawan and I, she stops recognising me and gives me a hug before continuing to the ring. Renato likewise hugs me on the way past telling me to come and find them after the fight.

Lawan and I watch on nervously as the fighters are introduced, then it’s seconds out and the referee is giving his final instructions. Seeing the two women fighters facing off, Kelly has a good five inches on Natty and a considerable reach advantage.

Returning to their corners the bell rings and the fight is underway. Kelly comes out as the more aggressive of the fighters and looks to cut the ring off from Natty. Both of them throw some lose jabs trying to feel out the other and establish their range. Natty comes in a left and is caught with a good counter by Kelly, wobbling her. Lawan screams in excitement at this. In the exchange, Natty has been caught under the right eye and begins to bleed. The blood not worrying Lawan now as she is right into it. Kelly comes forward confidently but as she goes for a kick, Natty is able to change levels, clinching and then dragging the fight to the ground. Natty is able to quickly wrap her legs around Kelly’s and is looking to move up her side. A couple of shots by Natty loosen her up and she is able to take the blonde fighters back. Natty making quick work of getting locks in and then her arm under Kelly’s chin. Moment’s later the referee is pulling the Brazilian off as Natty has **** Kelly to tap out with a rear-naked ****.

Lawan who had been going for Kelly is disappointed at the result but still alive with the excitement of it all. A cutman is soon seeing to Natty's under-eye which is leaking blood before the announcer declares Natty the winner by submission at 3 minutes of the very first round. Natty has her hand raised to the audience and receives a warm cheer from the crowd for the fast and exciting match. After a quick in-ring interview both girls make their way out of the ring and head towards the back once again. Natty has a bag of ice under her eye as she walks past so I’m unable to make out the severity of the injury. Kelly is being consoled by her team as she too goes past.

With the fight over and our drinks gone I ask Lawan, “did you want to go backstage and meet Natty and my team?”

She nods her head enthusiastically and we leave our seats, slipping into the curtained area backstage.