Alycia Baumgardner needed her return to be so much more than just another routine title defense.

The RING/undisputed junior lightweight queen is set for her ordered championship showdown versus Delfine Persoon. Their bout will headline the Sept. 27 BrinxTV Presents: Hit Like A Girl, Fight Like a Champion event from at Trilith Studio’s Lux Stage in Atlanta, Georgia.

Baumgardner (15-1, 7 knockouts) will defend her RING championship for the third time. It will also mark her fourth defense of at least one alphabet title.

More importantly, it’s an opportunity to elevate her sport atop an all-women’s lineup.

“This fight is more than just a return to the ring for me, it’s a statement,” said Baumgardner, The Ring’s No. 6-rated pound-for-pound fighter. “Headlining [this] all-women’s card is an honor.

The event won’t be open to the public, as it is invitation-only. It will, however, be available free-to-air on Brinx.tv and Fubo Sports, and powered by Phenix real-time streaming.

Baumgardner has not fought since her revenge-fueled ten-round win over Christina Linardatou last July 15 in Detroit. She avenged her lone career defeat, though ran into far greater issues in the aftermath. A testing sample collected by Drug Free Sport revealed trace amounts of Mesterolone, a banned substance.

The matter dragged out for months thanks to the lack of effort provided by the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission. A temporary suspension placed by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) was eventually lifted, while the WBC placed Baumgardner on probation for one year.

Her reign remained uninterrupted, though the rest of the division was stuck in a holding pattern in the process.

Persoon (49-3, 19 KOs) is the number-one contender with all four sanctioning bodies. She was a longtime WBC lightweight titlist before a narrow defeat to Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) in their June 2019 undisputed championship unification bout.

Taylor won their Aug. 2020 rematch as well. Persoon is since unbeaten in her past six starts all at junior lightweight. She waited out Baumgardner’s win over Elhem Mekhaled to fully unify 130 last February. Immediately after Baumgardner-Linardatou II, Persoon banged the drum loudly for her overdue title shot.

Once the drug testing scandal was rectified, the WBC ordered the bout. It went to a purse bid hearing won by Global Combat Collective, who submitted $500,000 to land the rights. The figure is the highest ever for a WBC women’s purse bid.

Global Combat Collective is headed up by Nelson Lopez Jr., Baumgardner’s longtime manager. Her own and newly formed Baumgardner Promotions will also be involved in the event.

“Global Combat Collective, in association with Baumgardner Promotions, Brinx.TV, and Fubo Sports, is thrilled to bring this groundbreaking event to a broad audience for free,” said Nelson Lopez Jr., CEO of Global Combat Collective. “This fight represents a significant advancement for women’s boxing and sports broadcasting.”

“With the extensive reach of Brinx.TV and Fubo Sports, we are excited to deliver this monumental event to millions of fans worldwide.”

The part that most excites Baumgardner is the opportunity to restore—if not repair—her reputation as a top role model.

“I’m ready to show the world the strength, resilience and skill that women in boxing bring to the sport,” noted Baumgardner.

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