Former WBA and IBO Super-Welterweight World Champion Hannah Rankin is facing an uncertain future, with reports suggesting she owes £60,000 in unpaid debts. The Scottish fighter, known for her tenacious style in the ring, has seen her career take an unexpected turn, moving from professional boxing to the burgeoning world of bare-knuckle fighting amidst these financial challenges.
The 34-year-old revealed in an interview that a series of poor financial decisions has left her owing a substantial sum to multiple investors. No Smoke Boxing has been made aware that she has two other lawsuits against her and her team that cannot be named for legal reasons. The gravity of the situation escalated when Rankin stated she had been ‘subject to an ongoing campaign of harassment, threats and blackmail’, leading the matter to become a police investigation.
Speaking to Mail Sport, Rankin expressed remorse for the impact of her financial missteps, stating, “Because of this, some bad financial decisions have been made. To those it has affected, I apologise. To those that are legitimately owed money, this will all be paid back in full.” She added, “I will not be making any further comment on this, or anything linked to this due to the ongoing investigation. For those that are aware of what is going on, I thank you for your continued support and, for those that have reached out, again it means the world and I thank you.” As of the latest available information, the police investigation into the alleged harassment, threats, and blackmail remains ongoing, with no further public details emerging regarding the resolution of the debt or the lawsuits.
Among those claiming to be owed money is Tom Varley, CEO of Fight Africa, who stated he lent Rankin over £30,000. Varley’s understanding was that he would receive a 15 percent bonus from a reported £200,000 fight contract. However, Varley insisted that he has only received £4,000 of the debt owed and reported that he has not been contacted by police to discuss the issue.
A Distinguished Boxing Career
Before her recent financial troubles and transition to bare-knuckle boxing, Hannah Rankin carved out a significant career in professional boxing. Hailing from Luss, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, Rankin made history by becoming Scotland’s first female world champion in 2019, capturing the IBO Super-Welterweight title against Sarah French (also known as Sarah Curran). Her accomplishments didn’t stop there; she further cemented her legacy by claiming the vacant WBA female Super-Welterweight belt with a unanimous decision victory over Maria Lindberg on November 5, 2021, at the Tottenham Hotspur FC Banqueting Hall in London. She also previously held the WBC Silver Middleweight title.
Rankin’s professional boxing record stands at 13 wins and 8 losses, with 3 victories coming by way of knockout. Throughout her career, “The Classical Warrior” faced some of the sport’s biggest names, including undisputed middleweight champion Claressa Shields and former super-middleweight champion Alicia Napoleon Espinosa. Her tenure as a two-time world champion came to an end on September 24, 2022, when she suffered a unanimous decision loss to England’s Terri Harper in Nottingham, relinquishing her WBA and IBO Super-Welterweight titles.
In her final boxing bouts before her bare-knuckle transition, Rankin continued to face tough competition. After a win against Logan Holler in March 2023, she challenged Ema Kozin for the vacant WBC and WBO female Super-Welterweight titles on November 18, 2023, in Manchester, but lost by split decision. Her last professional boxing match saw her lose a split decision to Naomi Mannes for the WBA continental super welterweight belt in April 2024. Beyond the ring, Rankin is also an accomplished classical bassoonist, holding a master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Music, a unique background for a combat sports athlete.
Former Boxing World Champion Rankin Now Competing In BKFC
In a significant career shift, Rankin voluntarily relinquished her boxing license to transition into the world of bare-knuckle boxing, signing with the Conor McGregor-supported Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) in October 2024. Her debut in bare-knuckle boxing took place on October 12, 2024, at BKFC on DAZN: Tenaglia vs. Soto in Marbella, Spain. In a bruising encounter, she secured a split decision victory over Deborah Melhorn, emerging battered but triumphant. The fight was scored 49-46 by two judges for Rankin, with the third scoring it 48-47 for Melhorn.
A Swift Defeat in Dubai
Rankin’s second bout in the bare-knuckle arena, and a highly anticipated one, saw her face American Jessica Borga for the inaugural BKFC Women’s Featherweight Championship. The fight took place on April 5, 2025, at BKFC 72 Dubai: Day 2 at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in Dubai, UAE. The contest, however, proved to be short-lived. Rankin suffered a tough knockout loss to Borga, with the Florida native stopping her just 32 seconds into their fight in the first round. Borga landed a pair of brutal right hands, with the second catching Rankin clean and sending her to the canvas for the count, making Borga the inaugural BKFC Women’s Featherweight Champion. This marked only the second knockout loss of Rankin’s professional combat sports career.
Jessica Borga, known as “The Black Widow,” improved her BKFC record to 3-0 with the victory, all three of her wins coming by first-round knockout. Borga went on to challenge Christine Ferea for the inaugural “Queen of Violence” title on October 4, 2025, but lost by technical knockout in the fourth round. For Hannah Rankin, the decisive loss to Borga leaves her bare-knuckle boxing record at 1 win and 1 loss, adding another layer of uncertainty to her fighting future as she navigates both financial and career challenges.
