Alycia Baumgardner will be defending her undisputed World Super-Featherweight title against Christina Linardatou, the rival from her past. The event will be airing TONIGHT live on DAZN.
Baumgardner, with her impressive 14-1, 7 KO record, is ready to risk her 130lbs titles for the second time since her triumphant win over Elhem Mekhaled in NYC. Prior to that, she had a milestone victory in London, outscoring Mikaela Mayer and grabbing all the belts in the division. Now, Baumgardner is fired up for her first professional bout on home turf in Detroit, especially against Linardatou, who handed her the only professional defeat of her career back in 2018.
Linardatou is on a mission to score her third World title and repeat her victory over Baumgardner, five years after a divisive split decision triumph in Louisville. Following her win over Baumgardner, Linardatou secured her first World title at Super-Lightweight against Kandi Wyatt. Despite a hiccup against Katie Taylor in Manchester, she came back strong, reclaiming the vacant title.
BAUMGARDNER VS. LINARDATOU START TIME TONIGHT:
- Date: Saturday, July 15
- Time: 8 p.m. ET / 1 a.m. BST
- Live Stream: DAZN
- Location: Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan.
- Estimated Main Event Ringwalks: 10 p.m. ET / 3 a.m. BST
The Baumgardner-Linardatou headliner is complemented by a heated undercard battle between rivals Richardson Hitchins and Montana Love, aiming for Hitchin’s IBF North American and USWBC Super-Lightweight titles.
Hitchins, with an unbeaten record of 16-0, 7 KOs, has been rising fast in the 140lbs division. He is showing no signs of stopping, especially after his impressive win against John Bauza in NYC and the eighth-round stoppage against Yomar Alamo.
Love, standing at 18-1-1, 9 KOs, is looking for redemption after a controversial incident during his match against Steve Spark that led to his disqualification. There’s no doubt the existing tension with Hitchins will only fan the flames for their upcoming bout.
Let’s not forget the new star on the block, the Cuban Olympic Gold medalist, Andy Cruz, who’s scheduled to make his professional debut against Juan Carlos Burgos. Cruz, an exemplary athlete with a series of triumphs, is all set to make his mark in professional boxing. His opponent, Burgos, is not an easy feat, with an extensive record of 35-7-3, 21 KOs.
Baumgardner joined IFL TV to share her thoughts: “This is the revenge moment for me. This is my time to really get that back, that loss.”
When asked about her expected performance, Baumgardner confidently responded, “Absolutely, you’re gonna just see like a tenfold, just from the fight in February till now.”
Touching on the topic of pressure from the crowd, Baumgardner shared, “I thrive on it. I’ve prepared. I’ve been made for this moment.” This attitude resonates with her readiness to handle any situation, having fought under extreme pressure in the past.
Commenting on her past encounters with formidable opponents, Baumgardner said, “Every fight had a lot of pressure on me, but I was able to take that pressure and turn it into something positive.” This mindset underscores her resilience and determination to convert challenges into opportunities.
Looking beyond the upcoming match, Baumgardner revealed her ambitions for future fights. “We want to dominate here at 130, move up and fight the champion there, possibly at 140,” she said, indicating her desire to continually test her abilities and ascend in the boxing ranks.
Responding to comments made by Mikaela Mayer, Baumgardner confirmed her willingness for a rematch. “I mentioned it before, I don’t mind giving her the rematch at 135 to give her the advantage,” she said, expressing her readiness to face Mayer once again.
FIGHT CARD & WEIGHTS
-
Here are your official weigh-in results. Remember, the first bell rings at 5:30 PM ET.
Starting us off, we have a 6-round Welterweight contest:
Joshua James Pagan (146.2lbs) from Grand Rapids, Michigan, squares off against Gabriel Smith (147.4lbs) from Houston, Texas.
Following that is a 6-round Super-Middleweight contest:
Joseph Hicks (167.6lbs) from Grand Rapids, Michigan, goes toe-to-toe with Ramses Agaton (169.8lbs) hailing from Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico.
Next up, a 6-round Super-Bantamweight contest:
Cameron Pankey (123.6lbs) from Pontiac, Michigan, battles it out with Misael Reyes (123.6lbs) from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
And closing our pre-livestream line-up is a 6-round Super-Lightweight contest:
Jemarco Holloway (141.8lbs) from Detroit, Michigan, faces Angelo Snow (143.6lbs) from Toledo, Ohio.
Starting at 8pm ET on DAZN:
Kicking off the live stream, we have a 10-round Super-Bantamweight contest:
Ja’Rico O’Quinn (121.2lbs) from Detroit, Michigan, takes on Carlos Mujica (122.6lbs) from Caracas, Venezuela.
Followed by a 10-round Heavyweight contest:
Jermaine Franklin (241.2lbs) from Saginaw, Michigan, duels with Issac Munoz (257.4lbs) from Mexico City, Mexico.
Next is the 10-round IBF International Lightweight title fight:
Andy Cruz (134.6lbs) from Matanzas, Cuba, clashes with Juan Carlos Burgos (134.2lbs) from Tijuana, Mexico.
And for our main event, the 10-round Undisputed Super-Featherweight title:
Alycia Baumgardner (129.4lbs) from Detroit, Michigan, looks to settle the score with Christina Linardatou (129.8lbs) from Athens, Greece.