Caroline Dubois labelled Alycia Baumgardner a coward after the pair were involved in a heated ringside confrontation in Birmingham on Saturday night following Dubois' unanimous decision win over Amelia Moore.
The transatlantic rivals exchanged fierce words and fought over the microphone at the ropes immediately after the fight, sharpening their feud as Baumgardner prepares to step into the lightweight division. The American is scheduled to challenge Elif Nur Turhan for the IBF lightweight world title on November 8.
Dubois expressed her disappointment when Baumgardner did not attend her post-fight press conference, insisting her rival should have faced her to promote what she called the biggest fight in women's boxing.
"I'm surprised she isn't there. I think she's a coward," Dubois said. "I wish she was here so I could say it to her face. I really do. I think she's a coward because she isn't here today. She should have come to the press conference. This is the biggest fight in women's boxing."
Ringside Exchanges and Performance Criticism
Baumgardner described Dubois' performance against Moore as "lacklustre" from her seat at ringside. The former undisputed world champion claimed that the Londoner would need to "tighten up" her skillset if she expected to win a prospective super-fight between them.
Dubois rejected the criticism, pointing to Baumgardner's failure to secure high-profile fights against boxing stars Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields. The 25-year-old British world champion stated that she is already superior to Baumgardner at the same age.
"She's tried as hard as she can to dismiss me and make it seem like I'm not on her level, but I am," Dubois said. "I'm the world champion, and she's moving up to my division. Yeah, I think this is the biggest fight in women's boxing."
"I think it will be a great fight, and I hope that she wins against Elif, but you never know," Dubois added. "Maybe it's Elif who wins, and it'll be me and her facing off, so let's not try and write off Elif."
Dubois is a 25-year-old British professional boxer who holds a world title in the 135-pound lightweight division. Baumgardner is an established American champion who previously held all four major sanctioning body belts at super-featherweight before electing to move up in weight to target lightweight honours.
Alternative Targets and Unification Options
If a fight with Baumgardner fails to materialize, Dubois highlighted WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han as another primary option. Han recently preserved her title by securing a majority decision victory over former UFC champion Holly Holm.
Dubois recounted travelling to watch Han compete earlier this year after receiving an invitation from Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian. Unlike Baumgardner, Dubois attended Han's post-fight press conference to issue a direct challenge.
"Nakisa flew me out earlier this year to watch Stephanie fight against Holly Holm," Dubois said. "I went to the press conference afterwards. I wasn't afraid to come to the press conference. I called her out openly there and then, and she promised me we would do it, that it is a fight that's going to happen, and I intend to hold her to that. I want to fight Stephanie."
The women's lightweight division is currently anchored by champions across major sanctioning bodies, including the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO. Direct unifications between reigning champions provide clear pathways to crowning undisputed champions in the sport.
Promoter Response and November Schedule
Promoter Jake Paul, founder of Most Valuable Promotions, told Sky Sports that his team is fully prepared to arrange a blockbuster contest between Dubois and Baumgardner once contractual terms can be negotiated.
Paul dismissed claims that Baumgardner was avoiding the matchup, following comments from Claressa Shields accusing Baumgardner of being "scared" of Dubois. Baumgardner had previously responded to Shields by calling her "jealous."
"Alycia is not scared of anyone, I know it's going to happen, she has to get through November 8 and then we can have those discussions," Paul said. "I think it's funny when fans or critics say certain people are scared of somebody. They aren't scared, it's what they do for a living."
Paul confirmed that Most Valuable Promotions is "100 per cent ready to go when they want to sign the contracts" for the fight.
The immediate priority for Baumgardner remains her November 8 bout against Elif Nur Turhan for the vacant IBF lightweight title. Should Baumgardner emerge victorious, negotiations for a unification showdown against Dubois are expected to commence.
