LUSS boxer Hannah Rankin feels like she is back where she belongs after becoming a world champion for the second time.

The 31-year-old defeated the Swedish Maria Lindberg on a unanimous points decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Bonfire Night to clinch both the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the International Boxing Organization (IBO) super-welterweight titles.

It’s the second time that the former Hermitage Academy pupil has been the IBO champion – she won the belt in 2019, but was defeated nine months later.

Rankin admits the previous experience of holding the title made her hungry to win it back – and paid tribute to her late mum in the post-match aftermath.

Speaking exclusively to the Advertiser, she said: “It still feels amazing to be called a two-time world champion! It still makes me smile. I knew it was going to be a tough fight and I wasn’t under any illusions.

“I think it was probably the last opportunity for Maria to get a world title. She’s been very unlucky before in certain fights where she should have had the decisions, so I knew she’d be coming with the intent of taking the world title home.

READ MORE: Luss boxer Hannah Rankin is a wo rld champion again

“She’s tough and lives in the gym and trains young fighters as well so I was aware of her threat, but my youth and experience paid off.

“I think I landed the bigger and more eye-catching shots and my defence was better and that’s what counted in the end. I knew I’d done enough.

“I had boxed to instructions for the fight and followed the game plan and it came out on top. I thought it was going to be about who wanted it more, and I definitely wanted it more.

“It was a very emotional moment because when I lost the world title in 2019 it was a devastating blow to me. To have the chance to work back from where I was then was a huge moment.

“I always want to represent my mum when I’m in there on fight night and I promised her I’d win the title and I did that, so it was a very emotional moment.

“My main focus has always been to bring another world title back to Scotland, especially after having lost it in a controversial decision over in Malta.

“I just wanted to get back to where I knew I belonged, and I know I belong as a world champion.

“There was a lot of hard work to get there but it all paid off on the night and the previous experience definitely helped me out.”