WOMEN'S BOXING
Dubois Blasts "Drug Cheat" Baumgardner — Then Sets Sights on 147lbs
Caroline Dubois didn't just unify two lightweight belts at Olympia — she fired the opening shot in the biggest callout in women's boxing. Baumgardner is next. Then welterweight.
April 6, 2026
Boxing Lookout
- Caroline Dubois unified the WBC and WBO lightweight titles with a dominant decision over Terri Harper at Olympia, dropping her in round six
- Post-fight, Dubois called Alycia Baumgardner a "drug cheat" and demanded a fight before the end of 2026
- Dubois then revealed plans to move up to 147lbs after dealing with Baumgardner — chasing legacy fights across multiple weight classes
The Ink Wasn't Even Dry on the Scorecards
Right then. Caroline Dubois had barely taken the WBO belt off Terri Harper's waist before she turned to the cameras and started a proper war of words with the one fighter she wants more than any other. Make no mistake, this wasn't a polite post-fight suggestion. This was a full-throated callout with venom behind it.
Dubois branded
Alycia Baumgardner a "drug cheat" in her post-fight interview, and she didn't mince a single word doing it. The unified lightweight champion told Fight Hub TV in no uncertain terms that Baumgardner's failed drug test wasn't some minor weight-loss supplement — it was a serious performance-enhancing substance that affects muscle performance and heart development. Coming from a fighter who just unified a division at 22 years old, it landed like a body shot.
This is the fight that women's boxing needs. Dubois is the real deal — she showed that again at Olympia with a composed, clinical performance against Harper that included a sixth-round knockdown and scores of 98-91, 98-91, and 97-92. She's levels above the domestic scene now. The only fights that make sense are the ones that test her at world level, and Baumgardner, whatever you think of her testing history, is that test.
Why Baumgardner Before the End of 2026?
Dubois isn't interested in waiting. She wants Baumgardner this year, and she's made the timeline crystal clear. The American holds the WBA and IBF belts at 130lbs — not 135 — which means this would likely need to happen at a catchweight or with Baumgardner moving up. Either way, the politics around the fight are already messy, and the PED history adds a layer of genuine animosity that you rarely see in women's boxing.
Let's not beat around the bush — Dubois has every right to call this out. She's never failed a drug test. She's been a clean, elite operator since turning professional, and she's built her reputation on skill, speed, and timing rather than any shortcut. When she calls someone a drug cheat, it carries weight. She's earned the right to say it.
The commercial appeal is there too. Dubois is the biggest star in British women's boxing right now, and last night proved it. Olympia was packed. The atmosphere was brilliant. Sky Sports delivered numbers. If Baumgardner agrees to the fight — and she'd be mad not to, given the money on the table — it could headline a stadium card before the year is out.
Then Comes 147 — And That's Where It Gets Interesting
Here's where Dubois separated herself from everyone else in the division. She's not thinking about defending two belts at 135 and sitting comfortably. She's thinking about jumping two weight classes to welterweight. That's 147lbs. That's a completely different world.
Dubois confirmed she wants to move up after dealing with Baumgardner. The ambition is staggering. She's talking about chasing legacy across multiple divisions while she's still only 22. If she beats Baumgardner and then wins a title at 147, she'd have belts in three different weight classes before her 24th birthday. That's generational talent territory.
The 147lb division is where
Lauren Price currently sits with her WBC, WBA, and IBF straps after retaining them against
Stephanie Pineiro in Cardiff on Friday night. And Price herself has already agreed to fight
Claressa Shields at 160 later this year. The women's divisions are moving faster than the men's right now — and Dubois wants to be at the centre of all of it.
My Take
I'm not sitting on the fence. Dubois beats Baumgardner. I've said it before and I'll say it again — Caroline Dubois is the best women's fighter in Britain and she's rapidly becoming one of the best in the world. Her jab is elite, her feet are class, and she showed against Harper that she carries proper power at 135.
Baumgardner is dangerous and she's experienced, but Dubois is faster, longer, and hungrier. If that fight happens before the end of 2026, I expect Dubois to win by wide decision — and then the 147lb adventure begins.
Women's boxing has never been in a better place. Last night at Olympia was proof. And Caroline Dubois, make no mistake, is the reason people are paying attention.