Dubois Blasts Rival After Unification Fight Collapses

Caroline Dubois says a planned unification fight with Elif Turhan collapsed after the opponent rejected an offer to meet in the ring.

The WBC lightweight champion told Bad Left Hook that she had targeted either Turhan or Stephanie Han for her next bout but that Turhan declined the proposal. Han recently fought and is currently recovering, though Dubois said she hopes to secure that matchup by year's end.

Dubois On Turhan Rejection And Baumgardner No-Show

"It's very disappointing," Dubois said. "We sent her an offer, she turned it down and, yeah, at the end of the day you can't force someone into the ring."

Dubois also criticized Alycia Baumgardner for skipping a recent promotional event in the UK despite traveling to the country. She suggested Baumgardner avoided the gathering because top contenders including Dubois and Mikaela Mayer would be present. "I think she's a coward," Dubois said, per the report. "You come all the way out to the UK and you don't turn up? You don't want to be in the mix of some big fights?"

The 23-year-old recently left longtime trainer Shane McGuigan and has spent three weeks working with Manny Robles. She cited a desire to push herself harder and said changing her approach was necessary to reach the next level. Dubois declined to detail her reasons for the split but said she wants to train to dominate rather than settle for her current form.

If the Han fight materializes before the year closes, Dubois would have a second crack at unifying titles in the lightweight division.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — ‘Very disappointing’: Caroline Dubois hasn’t managed to land unification fight