Caroline Dubois has publicly outlined a step-by-step plan to become the undisputed world lightweight champion in 2027 after retaining two of the division’s major belts at an all-female card in Birmingham.
Roadmap to unifying the division
The 24-year-old Londoner comfortably secured a points victory over Amelia Moore, recording the 14th win of her professional career and keeping hold of both the WBC and WBO titles. In the aftermath she engaged in a high-profile face-off with American rival Alycia Baumgardner, a confrontation that has kept talk of a blockbuster showdown alive on both sides of the Atlantic.
Dubois told the Press Association she intends to pursue the remaining belts sequentially. The immediate target, she said, is the WBA title held by Stephanie Han, followed by a meeting with the winner of a looming IBF contest between Baumgardner and Elif Nur Turhan scheduled for 9 November. That sequence, she argues, would create an undisputed champion and produce “the biggest fight in women’s boxing.”
“I would probably go and fight Stephanie Han for the final belt and then I would fight the winner of Baumgardner and Turhan for undisputed,” she told the Press Association.
Why the timing matters
Dubois’s plan is both pragmatic and promotional. By attempting to secure the WBA belt first, she reduces the number of obstacles before a unification bout. The IBF title fight next month will be decisive for the other side of the equation: should Baumgardner prevail and later win a second weight title as Dubois predicts, a Dubois–Baumgardner clash for all four major belts would represent a marquee event for the sport.
Her profile has risen sharply in recent months, not least because the exchange with Baumgardner went viral. That visibility is relevant: undisputed fights carry greater commercial and media appeal, which in turn influences promoters’ ability to broker high-value cross-border match-ups.
- Current status: Dubois holds the WBC and WBO lightweight titles.
- Short-term target: WBA title held by Stephanie Han.
- Potential unifier: Winner of Baumgardner vs Elif Nur Turhan (IBF), scheduled 9 November.
Implications for women’s boxing
If achieved, undisputed status would not only be a personal milestone for Dubois but could also be a defining moment for female boxing in Britain and internationally. Unifying belts typically elevates interest, boosts purses for the fighters involved and can reshape matchmaking across the weight class as other contenders reposition themselves.
Dubois framed the potential collision with Baumgardner in both sporting and entertainment terms, saying the confrontation was spontaneous and illustrative of both fighters’ personalities. She declined to frame the moment as manufactured theatre, insisting the on-court exchange was an unplanned spark after she had finished her bout.
That clash of personalities is likely to increase pressure on promoters and sanctioning bodies to facilitate the sort of cross-promotional deal that would make a four-belt fight feasible. Logistics — including scheduling, mandatory challengers and purse splits — remain significant barriers in any unification attempt, however.
Quick reference
| Title | Current holder |
|---|---|
| WBC | Caroline Dubois |
| WBO | Caroline Dubois |
| WBA | Stephanie Han |
| IBF | To be decided: Baumgardner vs Elif Nur Turhan (9 November) |
As she pursues unification, Dubois also represents a growing commercial prospect for British boxing at a time when promoters are seeking globally marketable female stars. Her insistence that she does not recoil from confrontation is as much a promotional asset as a psychological tactic in the ring.
Whether the plan unfolds as sketched will depend on results in the coming months, most notably the IBF title bout in November and any negotiations to stage a WBA challenge against Han. For now, Dubois is charting a clear course: secure the remaining belt, then pursue the winner of the IBF contest — a sequence that, if completed, would make her the youngest undisputed world champion in the division and mark a substantial milestone for women’s boxing.
