Baumgardner Captures Lightweight Title
The 30-year-old boxer moved up a weight class to secure the IBF belt, displacing Amanda Serrano in the national rankings.
By Marco Ortega ·
Alycia Baumgardner defeated Elif Nur Turhan by unanimous decision on Sunday in Arlington, Texas, to claim the IBF lightweight championship. The victory elevated the 30-year-old fighter to a two-division world champion status and secured her position at number four in ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings.
All three judges scored the bout 100-90 in favor of Baumgardner, awarding her every round. She had previously established herself as the undisputed junior lightweight champion, holding the WBO, IBF, and WBA belts in that division before moving up in weight.
Baumgardner now holds the WBO, IBF, and WBA junior lightweight titles while adding the IBF lightweight belt to her collection. She remains at 130 pounds but has signaled an intent to stay at 135 pounds. Her next potential opponent is the winner of a February unification bout between Caroline Dubois and Stephanie Han.
That February fight will determine the WBO, WBA, and WBC lightweight champion. Dubois currently holds the WBO and WBC belts, while Han possesses the WBA title. A victory for either fighter would set up a four-belt unification match against Baumgardner for the undisputed lightweight crown.
The shift in Baumgardner's standing affected the rest of the top ten list. Amanda Serrano dropped from number four to number five to accommodate Baumgardner. Serrano is scheduled for her final professional fight on January 9 against Skye Falzon.
Ellie Scotney and Dina Thorslund both moved up the rankings, settling into a tie for seventh place. Mikaela Mayer fell from sixth to ninth. The current top of the list remains led by Claressa Shields, who is ranked number one. Gabriela Fundora is second, and Chantelle Cameron is third.
The rankings are determined by a descending points system based on expert voting. The seven panelists placed Shields at number one in every individual ballot. Fundora and Cameron each received three second-place votes, while Serrano received one second-place vote. Baumgardner received three third-place votes, while Fundora and Cameron each received two.
