Alycia Baumgardner has emphatically dismissed the recent performance of lightweight champion Caroline Dubois, pouring cold water on a potential superfight by branding the British star’s latest victory as a “lackluster performance.” Appearing on The Last Stand podcast on September 7, 2026, the undisputed super featherweight queen insisted she saw “nothing special” from Dubois and that a fight between them is not an immediate priority.
The pointed comments came just days after Dubois secured a comprehensive victory over Amelia Moore at Solihull’s BP Pulse Arena on September 2. Immediately after the win, Dubois called for a showdown with Baumgardner, setting the stage for a major clash in women’s boxing.
The Alycia Baumgardner Caroline Dubois rivalry heats up
But Baumgardner, who is preparing for her own move up to the 135-pound division, was far from impressed with what she saw.
While Caroline Dubois earned a shutout on two of the three scorecards against Amelia Moore, taking the decision 99-90, 99-90, and 98-91, the performance failed to capture the imagination of her chief rival.
Baumgardner, watching with a critical eye, offered a blunt and analytical breakdown of the fight, suggesting Dubois has significant work to do before stepping in the ring with her. The critique signals a new chapter in the growing Alycia Baumgardner Caroline Dubois rivalry.
“That was a lackluster performance, to me. I didn’t see anything spectacular,” Baumgardner stated on the podcast. “As a coach or a commentator or an analyst looking at a fighter, I’m going to dissect it all…and I didn’t see anything special. I could really dissect and know exactly how to beat her.”
This wasn’t just trash talk; it was a confident champion breaking down a potential adversary and finding her wanting.
The American champion, who holds a record of 17-1, believes Dubois’s performance revealed significant flaws. By publicly dissecting her opponent’s skills, Baumgardner is engaging in psychological warfare, aiming to plant seeds of doubt while simultaneously building her own reputation as one of the sharpest minds in the sport. It’s a clear message that she sees no threat from the current lightweight titleholder.
A different path forward: The Elif Nur Turhan challenge
Instead of entertaining a bout with Dubois, Baumgardner turned the tables, highlighting her own upcoming challenge against Elif Nur Turhan. She framed this fight as a more significant test, even suggesting it was a challenge that Dubois was unwilling to take. This narrative positions Baumgardner as the braver fighter, taking on avoided threats while moving up in weight.
“I have my biggest test in front of me and that’s Turhan — somebody that she did not want to fight,” Baumgardner declared, drawing a firm line in the sand. “This is somebody that she had an opportunity. So, again, I’m stepping up to the plate to do something you didn’t want to do.
That’s what I’m doing.” This claim adds a compelling layer to the divisional politics, painting a picture of calculated matchmaking.
By accepting the Turhan fight, Baumgardner intends to prove her mettle at 135 pounds on her own terms. She plans to “show you what it is to carry that undisputed energy into the 135 division.”
A victory over Turhan would not only add to her legacy but would also give her immense leverage in any future negotiations with Dubois, allowing her to dictate the terms of a potential unification bout from a position of even greater strength.
Mapping the lightweight landscape
According to Baumgardner, Caroline Dubois hasn’t earned a direct shot and may even be regressing as a fighter. Rather than being her next opponent, the American suggested a different path for the British champion. She believes Dubois needs to prove herself against other top contenders before getting a chance at the division’s incoming superstar.
“I don’t know. Again, I think she’s going backwards,” Baumgardner said of Dubois being her next fight. “We still have Stephanie Han in the division. Let them two fight and let me fight the winner and then we can decide who’s going to actually be the best at 135 to compete with me.”
This effectively creates a hurdle for Dubois, forcing her to navigate another high-stakes fight to earn her shot.
This strategic dismissal is a common tactic among boxing’s elite, used to control the narrative and the matchmaking landscape. For now, Baumgardner’s message is clear: “Turhan is still the #1 focus but Caroline is going to have to tighten up. Tighten up.”
The onus is now on Dubois, a member of a high-profile boxing family, to respond either with words or with a performance so spectacular it cannot be ignored.
Alliances and rivalries: The wider war of words
The feud isn’t limited to just the two fighters. It has drawn in other prominent figures in women’s boxing, most notably multi-division champion Claressa Shields. Shields has publicly backed her fellow Team USA alumna Dubois, even offering to help her prepare for a potential fight against Baumgardner, adding another layer of intrigue and star power to the rivalry.
Baumgardner, however, remains supremely confident and unfazed by the potential alliance. Her response to Shields’s offer was sharp and dismissive, a clear indication of her self-belief. “There’s nothing Caroline can do. You can have five Clarences in your corner — you’re not going to beat me,” she retorted.
“I am the top dog, as I’ve been saying. Continue getting your pup cups at Starbucks, baby. This is just a different level.”
Baumgardner also weighed in on the recent bout between her former rival Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron. She offered a nuanced take, suggesting Mayer lost because she was “missing something,” despite having all the tools.
This insight into other top-level fights serves to bolster her credibility as an analyst of the sport, reinforcing the idea that her critique of Dubois comes from a place of deep knowledge and not just simple animosity.
What’s next for the two champions?
The path forward for both champions is now layered with strategic complexity. For Alycia Baumgardner, the mission is clear: defeat Elif Nur Turhan and make a statement in her lightweight debut. A convincing win would validate her move up in weight and solidify her status as the A-side in any future negotiations.
A loss, however, would be a devastating setback, derailing the momentum toward what could be one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing.
For Caroline Dubois, the situation is more fluid. She holds the WBC and WBO lightweight titles, making her a formidable champion in her own right with a record of 14 wins in 15 professional bouts.
She can choose to wait for the outcome of the Baumgardner-Turhan fight, or she could heed Baumgardner’s challenge and face another top contender like Stephanie Han to silence any doubts about her resume.
Ultimately, the escalating war of words is a promoter’s dream, building a compelling narrative for a transatlantic showdown between an American undisputed champion and a British unified titleholder. The combination of skill, personality, and national pride has all the ingredients for a blockbuster event.
But before that fight can be made, both women must navigate the immediate challenges in front of them, knowing that a single misstep could change the entire landscape of the lightweight division.
