Dubois beats Moore to keep Baumgardner in picture

Caroline Dubois outclassed Amelia Moore to retain her WBC and WBO lightweight titles and preserve her pathway to a showdown with unified super-featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner in 2027. Dubois showed her dominance inside the ring at BP Pulse Arena in Birmingham, with Moore taking a dive in the fifth round. However, Moore refused to be subdued and was repeatedly handled by Dubois like a cat playing with a mouse.

The fight concluded on a unanimous judges' decision of 99-90, 99-90, and 98-91 in favor of Dubois. The British fighter was the clear favorite and never allowed Moore to catch her off-guard, though her strategy focused more on power and presence than speed. After the bout, Dubois verbally sparred with Baumgardner, who accused her of tightening up and appearing fatigued.

Moore, making her fifth professional fight debut, exhibited great courage but fell short in comparison to her opponent. The anticipation is now on Dubois to face Baumgardner next year, pending Baumgardner's success against Elif Nur Turhan in November. The two rivals have been trading barbs for a year, and their rivalry continued on the canvas, with Baumgardner watching the fight as a "scouting mission."

Dubois is now more assertive, boasting of her unbeaten record of 15 professional bouts with 14 wins. She made headlines by switching her training camp from London to Los Angeles, working with renowned US trainer Manny Robles, in a bid to elevate her career further. Meanwhile, on the undercard, Terri Harper, who had lost to Dubois in April, bounced back with a dominant victory over Miranda Reyes, which she described as "one of the best performances of my career."

Harper, who stepped up to welterweight to make it a must-win bout, showcased a knockout win, adding to her impressive career record of seven knockouts out of 17 victories in 22 fights.