Dubois targets Han for year-end unification after rejecting Turhan’s financial demands
The British unified lightweight champion has abandoned immediate unification talks with the IBF titleholder over exorbitant financial demands, pivoting instead to a year-end showdown with WBA champion Stephanie Han.
British unified lightweight world champion Caroline Dubois has abandoned immediate unification talks with IBF titleholder Elif Nur Turhan, citing exorbitant financial demands. Instead, the 25-year-old is pivoting toward a year-end bout with WBA champion Stephanie Han.
Dubois recently unified the WBC, WBO and Ring Magazine lightweight belts after defeating Terri Harper in April. However, negotiations with the 31-year-old Turkish fighter stalled completely.
Dubois stated that her promotional team received an "astronomical, ridiculous" offer from Turhan’s camp. She described the figure as "retirement money" and dismissed the IBF champion as a "joker" who is disconnected from the sport's realities.
The British champion also warned Turhan about her recent ring performances, suggesting they have been "incredibly shaky." Dubois advised her rival to focus on fundamental boxing skills, noting there is a strong chance she could lose the belt to an unknown challenger.
Attention has now shifted to Han, an American boxer, police officer and former pageant queen who retained her WBA lightweight title in May. Han secured a controversial decision victory over Holly Holm, with two judges scoring the bout 96-94 and one calling it a 95-95 draw.
Dubois confirmed she shook hands with Han after that fight and both fighters verbally agreed to a matchup. The British fighter is now pressing her promoters at MVP to honor their contractual commitments.
"I'm owed three fights with the MVP in a year and I'm going to hold them to that," Dubois said. She emphasized her expectation that the promoter will "double down" on their promises to facilitate the matchup.
This push highlights the growing commercial pressure on boxing promoters to deliver high-profile, cross-border unification bouts that maximize broadcast value. Securing recognizable names is critical for maintaining the momentum of women's boxing on major European networks.
Before pursuing Han, Dubois will defend her unified WBC and WBO titles against American Amelia Moore. The 10-round bout takes place on 29 August at the bp pulse LIVE arena in Birmingham.
This defence will feature on the undercard of MVPW-06, headlined by the unified welterweight world championship clash between Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron. The entire main card is structured around UK versus USA female matchups, broadcasting live on Sky Sports.
