She’s proven to be a natural talent at capoeira… And, now Jennifer Lopez is throwing punches in style…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress—who was a blue-ribbon beauty on the red carpet at this year’s Academy Awards—morphed into a tough, high-fashion boxer for the cover and a special feature in the March issue of V magazine.

The American Idol judge—wearing designs by Emporio Armani, Alexander Wang and Calvin Klein, all while revealing her trademark six-pack abs and a little underboob—was photographed by Mario Testino, who shot Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s engagement portraits.

Lopez even donned men’s groin protectors because she “thought it was more graphic.”

J.Lo, who learned to box for her role in Money Train and later mastered Krav Maga for the thriller Enough, insists she’s always been a fighter.

“I’ve always felt like a tough girl from the Bronx, but I have a soft core,” Lopez tells V magazine. “I can take a lot of punches and still keep going. I’ve been trained like a boxer to go 15 rounds.”

Images courtesy of V magazine & Mario Testino; Video courtesy of Us Weekly.