Alycia Baumgardner describes 'super-fight' with Elif Nur Turhan as "the biggest fight right now in women's boxing"

MVPW-07 launch press conference quotes

On August 27, at bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham, MVP hosted the back-to-back MVPW-07 launch press conference and MVPW-06 UK vs USA final press conference, bringing together stars from two upcoming championship cards as MVP continues a historic stretch of boxing events showcasing the sport’s most elite fighters across the UK and US.

The press conference also officially kicked off MVPW-07, set for Sunday, November 8 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

MVP’s unified super featherweight world champion Alycia Baumgardner (18-1, 7 KOs) came face-to-face with MVP’s newest signee, Turkey’s undefeated IBF lightweight world champion Elif Nur Turhan (14-0, 8 KOs), ahead of their 10-round championship main event contested with three-minute rounds for Turhan’s IBF lightweight world title.

Baumgardner will step up to 135lbs as she seeks to become a two-division world champion. MVPW-07 co-main event fighters also took the stage as MVP’s reigning WBC featherweight world champion Tiara Brown (21-0, 11 KOs) met MVP’s former undisputed champion Ellie Scotney (12-0). Brown will defend her WBC featherweight world title over 10 rounds at 126lbs against Scotney, who moves up in weight seeking to become a two-division world champion.

MVPW-07

ELIF NUR TURHAN

QUOTES TRANSLATED FROM TURKISH TO ENGLISH

On facing Baumgardner: Whether it's Alycia [Baumgardner] or any other fighter, if they prepared hard for me, I'm ready to fight them, and I'm ready to go.

On preparing to fight Baumgardner: I don't know how Alycia [Baumgardner] prepared for the fight, but all I know is I prepared for every single situation possible, and I know that I'm ready and I'm ready to go.

On if she thinks Baumgardner is underestimating her weight division: I don't think she's taking me lightly. If she was taking me lightly, she wouldn't be stepping up, and she wouldn't be ready to fight me.

On competition in lightweight division: You have to be a warrior to be in this division. I'm a warrior. It's all about who prepares the best, and whoever prepares the best will come out victorious.

ALYCIA BAUMGARDNER

On her goal of becoming undisputed at 135: I'm more than prepared for anything. To step up and to accept a challenge to fight somebody like Turhan, to step up to lightweight, this is nothing new to me. This is why I'm in boxing. This is why I was undisputed at 130 and why I will be undisputed at 135. It starts with her [Elif Nur Turhan].

On moving to lightweight: I'm still the underdog. I still have the mentality of an underdog. So, when I'm moving up to lightweight, there are no distractions because I know exactly what I'm supposed to do. 

On facing Turhan: I love this. I'm a competitor at heart, and I have somebody great to fight.

On Turhan’s power: Her [Elif Nur Turhan] power is legitimate. Yes, we've seen that with her previous fights, but for me, this is something that I've seen before. Skill pays the bills. Real skill. I know what it is to have great defense. I know what it is to shoot down the middle. I see all that wild punching. I see it. I'm blocking.

On Turhan vs. Baumgardner being the biggest fight in women’s boxing: I think the super fight, the biggest fight right now in women's boxing, is myself versus Turhan. So that's the fight that people need to focus on.

On potentially facing the winner of Dubois vs. Moore: I will fight whoever is next. You know, she [Caroline Dubois] has a big fight ahead of her this Saturday, and again, I will be undisputed at 135,

On being in the UK: There's a lot of history here. This is where I became world champion, and to be back here again in a different space, stepping up in another challenge. I'm so grateful for this.

On MVP supporting women’s boxing: I'm very thankful to have Nakisa [Bidarian], Jake Paul, and MVP come together once again to have women on one platform and for women to get the opportunity to fight. That's what we want to do. We want to fight. We want the exposure, and they have given us that. 

TIARA BROWN

On facing Scotney: She's younger, she's fast, she's strong, but I'm well seasoned, and I've been boxing for a very long time. This belt, no one's going to take it away from me. 

On Scotney attempting to take her WBC belt: I know that she [Ellie Scotney] broke many records being the youngest, undisputed champion of the world [from the UK], and she's coming up, and she wants to come for my belt, but listen, at the end of the day, the belt's going to stay in America. 

On dedicating her fight to her loved ones, including former opponent Hannah Rapp: I'm fighting for my loved ones. I'm fighting for my city, my town. In this fight against Ellie Scotney, I'll be fighting with Hannah Rapp, the boxer who I just competed against. She just got her life taken away from her. I'm going to take her with me in the ring. So, it's going to be a very tough night for Ellie Scotney.

On preparing to face Scotney: I don't do anything except train, and I train hard, and I'm not just fighting for myself. 

On her focus on defeating Scotney: I live, I eat, I sleep, I breathe boxing. So, if anyone thinks that they're going to beat me, it's going to be a cold day in hell. Icicles made of sweat.

On Scotney’s skill: She seems to be able to hold her own. She's very strong.

ELLIE SCOTNEY

On facing Brown: I've always said I feel like if you see the pattern of my career, I took the biggest and the best challenges, and that's why I made it crystal clear as soon as I left that ring that was the name I wanted.

On wanting to become a two-weight world champion: I knew as soon as I left that ring, it was what's next, and becoming a two-weight world champion is what lies ahead.

On giving her best efforts vs. Brown: I've always said that you're going to see the best of me at featherweight. I feel like November the 8th, the fight I've got in front of me, that needs to be the case. I need to be the best of me, and that's where you're going to see it.

On where her focus lies: All focus is on November the 8th, where the road to undisputed starts again. 

On progress on getting a driver's license for the car Jake Paul purchased for her: I still haven’t got a license. I probably shouldn't say this 'cos there's going to be a lot of pressure on me, but my driving test is five days after my fight. So, God willing, there are two victories.

On her feelings after becoming undisputed: I think what I got from becoming undisputed was a level of peace. Again, it's just all about what's to come now.