Delfine Persoon May Have the Tools to Dismantle The Bomb
Before deciding to call it a career, the one thing that Delfine Persoon (49-3, 19 KOs) wants to do is win another world title. She gets that opportunity in her upcoming fight with undisputed 130-pound champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs). Will Persoon prove capable of solving The Bomb?
The WBC ordered Baumgardner and Persoon on March 11. A purse bid was held by the WBC on March 15. Global Combat Collective won the right to promote and stage the contest with a bid of $500,000.
Persoon has been one of the elite fighters at 130 and 135 pounds for a decade. A former WBC lightweight champion who held that title for five years, many fans remember the pride of Belgium for her spirited battles in defeat against two-division undisputed champion Katie Taylor in June 2019 and August 2020.
Persoon became the WBC mandatory junior lightweight contender with a split-decision victory over Bo Mi Re Shin in May 2023. She will now face Baumgardner, who has become one of the stars of women’s boxing.
Named the 2023 Women’s Fighter of the Year by 3kingsboxing.com, Baumgardner became the undisputed champion with a dominant victory over Elhem Mekhaled in February 2023. But the champion has been out of action since July 2023, when reports surfaced that she failed a pre-fight drug test before her rematch win over Christina Linardatou. In January 2024, the WBC ruled that Baumgardner was not guilty of purposely ingesting any banned substances.
ONE NOTICEABLE WEAK SPOT
If styles count for anything, Baumgardner versus Persoon could evolve into an outright war. Persoon is a pitbull terrier in boxing gloves. The Belgian fighter applies relentless pressure and fights with the attitude that you stole something from her.
Baumgardner is more of a classic stylist. But what gets the fans excited is her punching power. The resident of Detroit, Michigan has plenty of pop in both hands. She’s one of the few elite women’s fighters in the world who can legitimately hurt you with one punch.
But if the champion has a flaw, it could be stamina. Baumgardner has a muscular frame. As a result, she will often fight in spurts and rarely fights for a full three minutes of a round.
Her fitness must be top-notch against Persoon. The former lightweight champion has an inexhaustible gas tank. Persoon is active, rough, and physical and reminiscent of former three-division champion and Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech. If Baumgardner’s physical and mental conditioning is not up to snuff, Persoon will wear her down and beat the fight out of her.
Despite being 39 years old, Persoon is a very live dog. Do not consider it a surprise, should she win. If she does, it would be icing on the cake for what has been a fantastic career.
