There’s no point in losing your head over what happened last night. Yes, Leila lost, and let’s be honest—it sucks.
But before the fight was even announced, many people were saying she wasn’t quite there yet. That in a few years, we could believe in a Leila Beaudoin as a world champion—but not just yet.
Last night, Leila learned a great deal and suffered an honorable defeat. There aren’t many women who can say they’ve boxed 12 rounds of 3 minutes. Leila did it—and not against just anyone.
Her opponent, Alycia Baumgardner, is one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the sport right now. That fight served as valuable experience, and she now knows what it takes to measure herself against the elite.
Photo: Netflix – Leïla Beaudoin and Alycia Baumgardner
Back to the Drawing Board
It’s far from over. At just 29 years old, she has plenty of time ahead of her to work on what didn’t go so well. And she had good moments during the fight. Leila still managed to land a few solid shots on Baumgardner.
She could very well have quit after the 7th round and no one would have blamed her. Her eyes were swollen and she was battered, but quitting isn’t her style. She tried everything to win the fight. Unfortunately, there are times in life when all that still isn’t enough…
We need to stay patient—we’re seeing good things in Leila Beaudoin’s progression. After last night’s fight, Quebec fans should feel encouraged. In a few years, she could very well be a champion.
Photo: Netflix – Alycia Baumgardner and Leïla Beaudoin
One Last Chance for the Lion?
A few months ago, Arslanbek Makhmudov was dreaming of a fight against Anthony Joshua—the boxer who ultimately chose money over pride. The one who fought Jake Paul last night. But believe it or not, an even more interesting option may have opened up for *the Lion*.
All boxing fans know Tyson Fury. He’s had an incredible career and has fought several wars that will go down in the history books. His trilogy against Deontay Wilder left no one indifferent, and he deserves credit for that.
However, Fury has now retired several times. After his most recent fight against Oleksandr Usyk, we truly thought it was over for Fury. He suffered the first two losses of his career against the Ukrainian world champion.
Photo: DAZN – Tyson Fury
And let’s not forget that his previous fight was against Francis Ngannou, a former UFC champion. The Cameroonian even knocked Fury down. Many people thought he’d done enough to steal the victory. Fury won by split decision, but it wasn’t the kind of performance we expected—especially since Anthony Joshua made quick work of Ngannou shortly afterward.
That doesn’t take anything away from Fury’s career, but it was fair to think that his best years were behind him and that retirement was slowly becoming inevitable.
Well, think again—it’s never truly over for the Gypsy King.
A Comeback Soon?
An announcement came out last week that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will headline a boxing card presented by Riyadh Season in 2026. It was also specified that both boxers will fight beforehand.
That’s where the door opens for Arslanbek Makhmudov. And no—contrary to expectations, he wouldn’t be facing Anthony Joshua. Although the two were involved in discussions recently, Gareth A. Davies announced earlier this week that the Russian giant could be the one to welcome Tyson Fury back. More specifically, a fight between the two could take place in April 2026.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Arslanbek Makhmudov
Of course, if you look at the situation on the surface, Tyson Fury has had a far greater career than Arslanbek Makhmudov. He’s been world champion multiple times and was long considered the best active heavyweight. But at this stage of his career—if we can still call it that—we don’t know which version of Fury will show up.
There’s no doubt Fury has the talent and potential to dispose of Makhmudov, but based on his recent performances, it’s not impossible to believe that won’t happen.
Yes, Francis Ngannou had an excellent showing against Tyson Fury, but it’s fairly obvious that the Englishman didn’t take his opponent seriously in that fight. If Fury makes the same mistake against Arslanbek, he could be in for a rude awakening—because yes, Arslanbek Makhmudov is a better boxer than Francis Ngannou.
Now that AJ has gotten rid of the Jake Paul circus, everything seems to be pointing toward a fight between him and Fury. And Makhmudov must be very happy, because that could mean the biggest fight of his career is on the way.
Still, Fury could very well show up with a knife between his teeth—but does he have enough gas left in the tank to do it?
