In a quest for redemption and greater glory, Super-Featherweight titleholder Alycia Baumgardner is set to defend her undisputed title this Saturday against her old adversary, Christina Linardatou. The bout, hosted at the Masonic Temple in Detroit and broadcasted live on DAZN, offers Baumgardner a shot at avenging her only career loss, which came against Linardatou in an eight-round contest back in July 2018.
The fight carries significant personal stakes for Baumgardner, who rose to undisputed status following her victory over Mikaela Mayer in London last October. Now, headlining in her hometown for the first time, the 29-year-old is focused on settling old scores. Speaking candidly about her past defeat to Linardatou, Baumgardner said, “Winning on Saturday closes a chapter. I remember when I was in the ring that night and her hand was raised, I was like ‘damn, I’ve got my first loss’. But then I was like, ‘I’m not done, who cares?’”
Known as ‘The Bomb’, Baumgardner views her prior loss as a crucial turning point for her career, using it to fuel her personal and professional growth. Her rematch with Linardatou presents an opportunity to show her evolution as a fighter. She reflected, “It was needed for growth, and I want people to recognize what growth looks like; it’s ugly, and it hurts. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel and it tells a story. I am happy everything played out the way it was supposed to as now I’m undisputed and fighting her in my backyard.”
Aside from exacting her revenge on Linardatou, Baumgardner has her sights set on some of the sport's biggest names, including Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, and Chantelle Cameron. In spite of her growing list of targets, Baumgardner's immediate focus remains firmly on the rematch. She concluded, "This is going to show everything, the full package, people have seen glimpses and in my last performance I gave myself a B, there’s an A+ out there and on Saturday it’s going to be that.”
Image Credit: ESPN