Caroline Dubois has spent fight week talking about legacy fights, undisputed champions and moving up in weight. Still, the immediate task remains a lightweight unification bout against Terri Harper this weekend.
Dubois, 23, has made it clear that she views the matchup as part of a larger plan; one that includes a year-end showdown with Alycia Baumgardner or, if that fight doesn’t materialize, a move up to face Mikaela Mayer at welterweight.
“I want to fight Baumgardner at the end of the year. There’s no point wasting time. It’s a big fight,” Dubois told Sky Sports. “After Baumgardner, I’ll then move up to 147. I don’t want to mess around… I’m chasing only big fights.”
Her focus on marquee names over belts has been consistent.
“I’ve never really cared about the belts,” Dubois said in an interview with Cigar Talk. “I care about the fights.”
That mindset has shaped both her confidence and her willingness to look past Harper — a former champion who remains a key test at 135 pounds.
“When I look at her, there is absolutely nothing that she does that I feel threatened by,” Dubois said. “Nothing that I see that makes me think, ‘This is going to be tough.’”
Dubois emphasized that her preparation is centered on her own development rather than her opponent.
“I’m not preparing to fight Terri Harper. I’m preparing to be the best me,” she said. “When I’m in the gym, I’m working to level up from my last camp. I’m not focusing on her.”
Harper’s relevance, however, extends beyond the immediate fight. Her career is closely tied to Baumgardner, who scored a knockout victory over her in 2021, a result that propelled Baumgardner into title contention and eventual undisputed status.
Dubois has not shied away from that comparison, even as she downplays Baumgardner’s accomplishments.
“Everything she does good, I do better,” Dubois said. “I don’t see anything that’s going to bother me.”
She also questioned whether Baumgardner is willing to take the fight.
“I can sense that she’s telling them she doesn’t want to fight,” Dubois said. “She knows what would happen in that fight.”
Dubois added that résumé alone does not earn respect in the ring.
“I don’t really care about what people’s achievements are,” she said. “Respect is earned, never given. For me, she hasn’t earned my respect.”
Those comments have added tension to a potential matchup that has gained traction in recent months, particularly as both fighters align under the same promotional banner.
For Dubois, the path forward is straightforward — win, perform and force the fight.
“I’m focusing on the performance,” she said. “I feel like when Caroline Dubois steps into the ring 100%, it’s great.”
Whether that performance measures up to the benchmark set by Baumgardner’s knockout of Harper remains to be seen. But Dubois has already made her expectations clear, both for herself and for the division.
“I want to be involved in the biggest fights possible,” she said.
The all-women’s card takes place Sunday, April 5, at Olympia in Kensington, London, with two WBC world titles on the line. Caroline Dubois (12-0-1, 5 KOs) defends her WBC lightweight title against Terri Harper (16-2-2, 6 KOs) in a unification bout, while Ellie Scotney (11-0) makes the first defense of her WBC super bantamweight title against Mayeli Flores (13-1-1, 4 KOs).
The event will stream on ESPN+ in the United States and air on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, with a 12 p.m. ET start time.
