Tammara Thibeault has spent much of her boxing career learning to stay in the moment. So when the biggest moment of her professional career arrived on Aug. 8, that's exactly what she did.
It wasn't until a couple of days later, when the belts were finally in her hands, that it started to sink in.
"Oh my God, I did this," Thibeault told CBC Sports.
The 29-year-old from Shawinigan, Que., defeated Australia's Desley Robinson by unanimous decision in Orlando, Fla., with all three judges scoring the fight 100-90.
Canadian boxer Tammara Thibeault becomes new unified middleweight world champion
The win made Thibeault the first Canadian woman to become a unified professional world champion, adding Robinson's IBF and WBO middleweight titles to the Ring Magazine belt.
She did it in just five professional fights, the fewest of any fighter in history to win a Ring Magazine world championship.
Canadian boxer Tammara Thibeault just made history in the ring
"I was so focused on one round at a time," she said.
For Thibeault, that mindset comes from practice." To be in the moment and to be present. It's literally just practice."
Thibeault's ability to stay focused helped her through a difficult moment in the fight. She suffered significant bleeding after being caught by a headbutt but maintained control to earn the win.
"I did face some adversity, but I managed to pull through and put on a dominant performance regardless."
While continuing her professional career, Thibeault returned to Olympic-style boxing late last year.
She won a Canadian amateur title in November and earned silver at the Boxing World Cup in Guiyang, China, in June.
She also trained in Belfast alongside national-team boxers from India and New Zealand, giving her high-level sparring against different styles.
