Caroline Dubois will fight Maira Moneo for the WBC interim world championship on Saturday August 3, live on Sky Sports.
The fast-rising star takes this next step in her career on the Zak Chelli vs Callum Simpson bill at the Oakwell Stadium in Barnsley.
Moneo is the holder of the WBC interim lightweight title so the winner will set herself on a collision course to face Irish boxing legend and WBC lightweight world champion Katie Taylor.
Twenty-three-year-old star ‘Sweet’ Caroline Dubois has got off to the perfect start in her 9-0 professional career, having already been crowned Youth Olympic, World Youth and four-time European Youth champion as an amateur.
Dubois’ unbeaten run in the paid ranks includes a convincing win over Magali Rodriguez to claim the IBO strap in 2023 and a successful defence of the belt against Miranda Reyes in February of this year.
Moneo, known as ‘La Panterita’, has mixed with top-level opposition. She holds a victory over former two-weight world ruler Erica Anabella Farias and the only blemish on her record is the result of a disqualification in a 2020 bout with Yanina del Carmen Lescano due to a clash of heads.
For Dubois it will also be the first fight of a new deal with Sky Sports and promoter BOXXER.
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Dubois knocked down Yanina del Carmen Lescano landing hurtful punches on the way to a wide points victory
“I’m very happy to have signed a new deal with BOXXER, Ben Shalom and Sky Sports. For me, it’s the biggest platform and I’ve been impressed with the amount they’ve invested in me and in female boxing,” Dubois said.
“I’m ready to announce myself on the big stage. I want to be world champion. I want to be fighting for world titles against the likes of Rhiannon Dixon, Beatriz Ferreira and Katie Taylor. I want to unify the division. I want to be undisputed and then I want to move up in weight.”
She added: “I want to go all the way and to do something that has never been done before. I want to transform the sport of female boxing and to change the way it’s viewed to make sure it gets the respect it deserves.
“Moneo is a fight that can propel me to the next level. She’s game, she’s tough and she believes she’s going to win.
“She has a lot of experience. She’s had a lot of fights so I don’t think she’s going to be overawed. She’s going to be aggressive and non-stop punching and I’m ready and I’m excited for that.”
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Gary Logan believes Dubois will become a world champion in 2024 and is becoming a leading female fighter in boxing
But Dubois warned: “Every time I step in the ring, I want to do damage. I want to excite people. I want people to say: ‘Wow, that Caroline Dubois, she’s something special!’ I want my name to be in their minds and on their lips. Whether it’s a knockout or a 10-round beatdown, I want to be the standout performance of the night, and on August 3, I’m coming to steal the show.
“After this fight, I will be on a collision course with Katie Taylor. I will be the Interim champion, her mandatory and unless she vacates, we’re fighting.”
Moneo expects to wreck those plans. “I promise, I will be bringing the belts back home to Uruguay and Argentina with me,” she said.
“I am looking forward to coming to the UK to fight Caroline Dubois. She is a very good fighter, and deserves my respect, but she has never faced anyone like ‘La Panterita’. I will show her why I’m the interim 135 lbs champion.”
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Dubois was not impressed by Mikaela Mayer when she faced her as an amateur in sparring
BOXXER founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “Caroline Dubois is one of the future faces of world boxing. She is a special talent. We’ve worked with her from her pro debut and we’re delighted that she continues to put her faith in us to guide her career to the highest level.
“At just 23 years of age, she has already achieved so much. On August 3, as part of a huge night of boxing in Barnsley, she steps up to challenge Maira Moneo for the WBC interim world title, which can pave the way for some massive fights including a potential shot at female boxing icon Katie Taylor. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. This is an opportunity for Caroline to realise her dream and set up a fight with one of the biggest names in the sport in what can be a real ‘passing of the torch’ moment.”
Don’t miss Caroline Dubois on the August 3 Zak Chelli vs Callum Simpson bill live on Sky Sports