Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper betting tips and selections for unification showdown

Caroline Dubois puts her unbeaten record on the line on Sunday night as she faces Terri Harper in a unification showdown.

Dubois holds the WBC lightweight crown and Harper is the WBO champion, with Elif Nur Turhan (IBF) and Stephanie Han (WBA) the other title holders in the division.

Dubois has a close to perfect record of 12-0-1 and her one draw came in a contest that was halted earlier due to injury.

However, three-weight world champion Harper, who is 16-2-2, represents the toughest test of her career to date.

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Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper Tips

• Terri Harper to win @ 4/1
• Terri Harper to win by decision or technical decision @ SP

Underdog Harper worth the risk

Dubois the clear favourite and deservedly so after a comprehensive points win over Camilla Panatta last time out, but Harper represents a huge step up in class for the 25-year-old.

In terms of experience, Harper is way ahead of Dubois, having previously shared the ring with American star Alycia Baumgardner, Liverpool’s Natasha Jonas, former middleweight title challenger Hannah Rankin and current super lightweight title holder Sandy Ryan.

This isn’t a 50-50 fight and Dubois has the edge in terms of speed and form, but Harper has a far greater chance than odds of 4/1 suggest and, if she is at the top of her game, she is more than capable of pulling off an upset.

Dubois made it look easy against Panatta in her last bout, but prior to that she laboured to a victory over South Korea’s Bo Mi Re Shin and that level of performance wouldn’t be good enough against Harper.

The fact Dubois is a southpaw shouldn’t prove to be an issue for Harper, as her last two fights have come against previously unbeaten southpaws in Rhiannon Dixon and Natalie Zimmerman.

Harper won both of those fights comfortably on points and she has a great chance to inflict a first loss on Dubois on Sunday. 

Judges likely to be required

Whoever wins on Sunday, it seems likely that the fight will last the full distance as neither fighter boasts a great deal of power.

Dubois has managed five stoppage victories in 12 wins, but her last six wins have gone the full distance and she hasn’t managed a knockout since making the step up to world level.

Both of Harper’s defeats have come via stoppages, but she has competed at higher weights than lightweight so she should be able to handle Dubois’ power.

The 29-year-old has six KOs in her 16 wins, but her last five wins have all come on points and she is more likely to outpoint Dubois than she is to stop her.

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