Caroline Dubois heard it all in the build-up. Arrogant, they said. Too loud. Too sure of herself. She called it confidence – unshakable, unapologetic belief in her own ability. Whatever label you preferred, there was only one way to settle it.
And under the bright lights of London’s Olympia, she didn’t just answer the critics… she silenced them – beating Terri Harper but unanimous decision, with the scorecards reading 98-91, 97-92, 98-91.
On a historic night marking MVP’s first UK show and their debut broadcast on Sky Sports, Dubois delivered a performance that demanded attention. Across the ring stood a proven champion in Harper, backed by some – including Alycia Baumgardner, who made no secret of where her loyalties lay. Dubois, not bothered by her comments, walked through the noise, the doubt, and the expectation.
Because when it mattered most, confidence – or arrogance, depending on who you ask – looked an awful lot like conviction. And conviction, backed up like that, is something else entirely.
The opening round was cagey, both women feeling each other out. Harper may have edged the output early, probing and busy, but Dubois’ intent was clear – she was hunting statement shots, looking to make her presence felt with every meaningful connection.
By round two, Dubois’ speed began to show. She moved sharply in and out of the pocket, forcing Harper to reset. Harper stuck to the jab and looked to let the right hand go, but couldn’t quite find the target.
Caroline Dubois heard it all in the build-up. Arrogant, they said. Too loud. Too sure of herself. She called it confidence – unshakable, unapologetic belief in her own ability
Whatever label you preferred, there was only one way to settle it. And under the bright lights of London’s Olympia, she didn’t just answer the critics… she silenced them beating Terri Harper
Claressa Shields attended the MVP event in London, having been at Lauren Price’s fight the night before in Wales
Dubois, meanwhile, fired in a big overhand right midway through the round – the kind of punch she had promised all week. And when the bell went, she made another statement, remaining on her feet rather than sitting down, a small but deliberate show of energy and control.
The crowd found its voice in the third, roaring in support of Harper, trying to will her forward.
But in the fourth, the tempo lifted and it suited Dubois. She began to string together combinations in the opening half of the round, her hands flowing. Harper tried to establish her jab and bring structure back, but Dubois’ defensive work stood out – rolling away from shots, evading clean contact, and resetting quickly.
The fifth followed a similar pattern, Dubois dictating the rhythm with her movement and sharper work.
Then came the breakthrough in the sixth. Just before the bell, Dubois dropped Harper. It wasn’t just the knockdown – it was everything that followed. Dubois leapt up, shouting, taunting, making sure everyone knew it. Harper beat the count, but she looked unsteady, and Dubois continued to bark in her direction as the bell intervened.
The seventh began with more theatre. Dubois gestured to Harper, beckoning her forward, forcing the referee to step in with a warning before the round even got underway.
The crowd responded with boos, but Dubois didn’t care.
She landed early, a combination that rocked Harper again. Harper held on, clinched, and survived, but Dubois had found another gear – digging to the body and continuing to exploit the gap in speed. Harper struggled to land clean as Dubois slipped and moved.
At the start of the eighth, Dubois made her intentions unmistakable. She stood square in the centre of the ring, waiting, inviting Harper to throw so she could counter.
There was no love lost between the pair during the build-up on fight week in London
Earlier in the night, Ellie Scotney won the Undisputed Female Super Bantamweight Titles against Mayelli Flores
Harper did land a solid combination midway through the round, but it only seemed to irritate Dubois, who fired straight back and forced her onto the ropes with a sharp response.
The ninth saw both fighters trade at close range, standing toe-to-toe in the kind of exchanges that brought the crowd to life. In tight, Harper had her moment, rocking Dubois in a reminder that the fight was far from one-sided.
The 10th and final round showed more of the same with Harper’s team urging her forwards as Dubois found herself getting caught.
But over the distance, it was Dubois’ speed, control, and moments of authority – punctuated by that knockdown – that told the story. When the scores were read, it was her hand that was raised.
