‘She Must Respect Me More Now!’ Phyna Rules Out Nkechi Blessing Rematch After Knockout

BBNaija star tells Sportsbeat.ng she owes the actress no apology after their celebrity boxing showdown, insisting their rivalry has been settled as she turns her attention to a new challenger.

Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Ijeoma Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has declared that Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing Sunday must respect her even more following their celebrity boxing encounter, while ruling out the possibility of a rematch.

In an exclusive interview with Sportsbeat.ng, Phyna insisted that she had nothing to apologise for after knocking out the actress in their highly publicised contest, maintaining that the outcome had settled their rivalry.

Asked whether she believed the fight was worth it after a week to reflect on the confrontation, Phyna responded emphatically.

“Yes, the match was very much worth it,” she said.

Phyna defeated Nkechi Blessing by knockout in the fourth round of their scheduled four-round contest at the Chaos in the Ring Independence Edition in Lagos on October 1, 2026.

The bout followed weeks of public exchanges between the two entertainers, with their rivalry eventually moving from social media confrontations to the boxing ring.

‘She Must Respect Me’ — Phyna

Phyna was unapologetic when asked whether she believed she owed Nkechi Blessing an apology following the contest.

The reality television star argued that the result had established the outcome of their confrontation and that the winner deserved respect.

“I don’t think I owe her an apology. She was on the ground, now she has to respect me because that was the plan. Anyone that wins has to respect the other person,” Phyna told Sportsbeat.ng.

Her remarks underline her belief that the contest has settled the dispute, leaving little reason for further confrontation.

However, Phyna suggested that she was not interested in continuing the public disagreement, despite her strong comments about the actress.

Asked whether she would confront Nkechi Blessing again if she could relive the incident, she said the contest had made another confrontation unnecessary.

“I don’t think I will need to confront her anymore, because we did the whole thing in the ring already and we know who the winner is.

“So I don’t even want to talk to her, but we are cool though,” she added.

Phyna Dismisses Rematch With Nkechi Blessing

Phyna was equally firm when asked whether she would accept an invitation to face Nkechi Blessing again in a properly organised celebrity boxing match.

She dismissed the possibility, insisting that their first encounter had already produced a decisive outcome.

“There is no need to spill the milk two times, you understand? She is already grounded, no point. We don’t have a conversation, it’s onto the next woman that wants to look for my trouble,” she said.

The statement suggests that Phyna would rather move on to another opponent than revisit her rivalry with Nkechi Blessing.

Following the contest, Phyna also publicly challenged actress Etinosa Idemudia, who was present at the event and accepted the challenge. However, a potential bout between the pair would depend on confirmation of the necessary arrangements.

No Private Conversation Since the Fight

Despite the public attention surrounding their rivalry, Phyna disclosed that she and Nkechi Blessing had yet to hold a private conversation since their boxing encounter.

Asked whether she had received private messages from the actress, other celebrities or people close to her following the contest, Phyna replied:

“No, we’ve not really had a private chat yet.”

Her response indicates that, although she considers the rivalry settled, the two entertainers have not discussed the outcome privately since the bout.

Phyna Defends Celebrity Boxing as Entertainment

Phyna also addressed the perception that celebrity confrontations are increasingly being used to attract publicity and entertain audiences rather than resolve genuine personal disagreements.

She argued that celebrities naturally attract public attention and that audiences are free to interpret such encounters in different ways.

“That’s why you call them celebrities, they are celebs, they are popular, you are in their business. When two popular people are having a fight, anyhow you want to take it, if you feel it’s entertaining to you, fine.

“If you want to see through all the entertainment and actually listen to what they are talking about, that’s also fine. I believe everybody can just assimilate it anyhow they want to,” she said.

The Phyna-Nkechi Blessing contest was one of the attractions at the Chaos in the Ring event, drawing attention to the growing intersection between celebrity culture and organised boxing entertainment.

With Phyna ruling out a rematch, refusing to apologise and hinting at a new challenger, the focus now shifts to whether her proposed showdown with Etinosa Idemudia will materialise.

For now, Phyna insists that the score has been settled in the ring and that she has no intention of going back for another round.