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Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer
Alycia Baumgardner will make the first defense of her undisputed junior lightweight championship on July 15 when she fights the only woman who has beaten her, Christina Linardatou, in Detroit.
Baumgardner is making this somewhat of a homecoming fight, as she was born in Fremont, Ohio, and now lives in suburban Detroit and trains under Tony Harrison in the city. It’s the second fight this year for Baumgardner (14-1, 7 KO), who last fought in February when she beat Elhem Mekhaled at the Hulu Theatre in New York’s Madison Square Garden to become undisputed champion.
It is the first fight this year for Linardatou, who was initially supposed to fight Mikaela Mayer in April in London. Linardatou was pulled from the fight because of a medical issue the day before the event, and now she’ll fight the most high-profile woman she has beaten for the second time.
Linardatou (14-2, 6 KO) last fought in July 2022, when she beat Aleksandra Vujovic. Linardatou’s only losses have come to Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon. Linardatou held the WBO junior welterweight belt when she vacated the title after becoming pregnant — leading to an over two-year layoff before she returned last year.
Richardson Hitchins-Montana Love will be the co-feature on the card.