Rhiannon Dixon: Former pharmacist beats Karen Elizabeth Carabajal to become world champion

Rhiannon Dixon completed her journey from pharmacist to world champion as she beat Karen Elizabeth Carabajal to claim the WBO lightweight belt at Manchester Arena.

The Briton dropped Carabajal to the canvas with a juddering left hook in round three, although the Argentine found her feet on the count of eight and recovered to take the fight into the latter stages.

Warrington-born Dixon was the more energetic fighter throughout, while Carabajal counter-punched as she showed the same steel that took her the distance against Katie Taylor.

This fight also went 10 rounds, with Dixon winning on the judges’ scorecards 98-91 97-92 96-93.

It ensures Dixon continues her perfect professional record, winning all 10 of her bouts.

It also completes a remarkable story for the 28-year-old, who only took up boxing seven years ago and was working as a pharmacist as recently as last year.

But she has been trained into a world-class boxer by former world champion Anthony Crolla, who saw his charge claim her title at the same arena where he won his own lightweight title, eight and a half years ago.

And Dixon was good value for the unanimous verdict, earning her the WBO belt vacated by Taylor.

Carabajal, 33, meanwhile suffered only the second defeat of her 24-fight career, having previously been beaten by Taylor at Wembley Arena.

Dixon was the more energetic fighter from the off, and scored the critical breakthrough in the early stages of round three as her powerful left found its mark on the South American champion.

It looked as if it would only be a matter of time before Dixon would be crowned champion – but Carabajal showed admirable guts and worried Dixon with some solid punches as the fight wore on, even as the Englishwoman scored with regular body shots.

At the end of round seven, Crolla had to reassure his exhausted fighter: “You’re six minutes away from winning a world title. Do not throw this away. She is every bit as tired as you.”

Carabajal raised a swelling on her opponent’s eye and the final round descended into a slugfest as Dixon’s defences dropped – but she did enough to write another chapter in her remarkable story.

More to follow.