In a female super featherweight title unification, WBC champion Alycia Baumgardner (12-1, 7 KOs) took the IBF and WBO belts from Mikaela Mayer (17-0, 5 KOs) via narrow ten round split decision in the co-feature of the big all-women’s card at the O2 Arena in London. Close fight. Baumgardner nearly doubled up Mayer’s power punch totals to win 96-95, 96-95 on two cards. Mayer was up 97-93 on the third card.
“I worked my ass off to get here,” Baumgardner said. “I landed the cleaner shots. The harder shots. I had her cut above her forehead. I was the harder puncher. I dug deep. That girl ain’t getting no rematch. I’m going after Choi [Hyun-Mi] like I said. Undisputed is what I claimed. It’s what I’m going to do.”
Mayer said, “I’m really confident that I won that fight. She was defeated. I saw it in her eyes. She was tired. She knows she lost the fight. She was shocked by the decision. She got lucky. I think the crowd believes that I won that fight. I took control of the fight from the second round on, for sure. At the very least, I won seven rounds clearly. I felt like I had it. I hope that she gives me a rematch. I think I deserve it, and I feel that the fans wants to see it.”