Baumgardner takes Turhan’s lightweight crown with three shutout cards
Alycia Baumgardner beat Türkiye’s Elif Turhan over ten rounds to win the IBF lightweight title. All three judges scored the fight 100-90, giving the American a championship in another weight division. Turhan had taken the belt from Beatriz Ferreira the previous December and defended it twice before this meeting with the super featherweight champion.
Sports··Evening
Every judge gives Baumgardner every round
American boxer Alycia Baumgardner took the International Boxing Federation lightweight world title from Türkiye’s Elif Turhan in Arlington, Texas.[1], [2]
Their ten-round contest ended in a unanimous decision, with every judge returning a 100-90 card. Baumgardner gained a championship in another weight division after her success at super featherweight. Turhan had held the lightweight belt since beating Beatriz Ferreira the previous December. She defended it against Taylah Gentzen in January and Gabriela Tellez in June before facing Baumgardner at the MVPW-07 event. The three matching scorecards transferred the championship at the end of the full scheduled distance.[1]
Distance and straight punches shape the contest
Baumgardner used left and right hands while keeping her distance early in the fight. Turhan tried to drive her towards the ropes and increase pressure at close range. The promoter’s round-by-round account described an interruption in the third when the ten-second warning was mistaken for the bell and the referee stepped between them during a Baumgardner attack. In the sixth, left and right hands caught Turhan off balance, but she answered and continued. Turhan attacked with uppercuts in the ninth as Baumgardner replied inside. Both exchanged near the ropes and at close range in the final round.[1]
A champion adds another weight division
Baumgardner already held the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization super featherweight belts. Her path to becoming undisputed in that division culminated in February 2023 with a victory over Elhem Mekhaled. She defended those three titles by beating Bo Mi Re Shin in April. The Turhan fight therefore followed an established championship career at a lower weight. Turhan also brought experience across divisions: before her lightweight reign, she had held the World Boxing Federation super lightweight and World Boxing Association interim super featherweight titles. Her reign in this division ended after the bout went to the judges.[1]
