Baumgardner Beats Elif Tur Nurhan to Become IBF Lightweight Champion

Alycia Baumgardner, the reigning super lightweight world champion, moved up to lightweight and won the IBF world title by beating Elif Tur Nurhan in Texas. The fight took place at the College Park Center in Arlington, and Baumgardner won a unanimous decision after 10 rounds.

All three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Baumgardner. Baumgardner, a hard-hitting fighter who beat an opponent who had never lost before, hurt Nurhan in the third and seventh rounds. In the ninth round, Nurhan was seen taking heavy punches. Nurhan took the fight to the final bell but, despite her punching power, did not pose a real threat to Baumgardner.

Verbal exchanges between Baumgardner and English rival Caroline Dubois continued after the bout. Dubois watched the fight ringside. Dubois is being talked about as Baumgardner's possible next opponent. Dubois will face Stephanie Han on February 20 for the WBA, WBC and WBO titles at 135 pounds. That fight will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. After the fight, Dubois asked, "Are we going to fight each other?" Baumgardner replied, "You have a champion in front of you."

In another bout on the same night, Ramla Ali won the WBO and IBF super featherweight titles by defeating Mikiah Kreps in a controversial split decision. Ali knocked Kreps down with a right hook in the third round. However, Kreps kept up the pressure afterward, and the two fighters finished the bout trading punches until the final bell. Kreps was ahead 98-91 on one judge's scorecard. Ali won the other two scorecards 96-93 and 97-92.