The morning of December 13 doesn’t taste the same…
Sleep was short, but sufficient.
This time, we’re no longer arriving.
This time, we’re in the game.
Leïla slept well. Thank goodness. The day will be long, demanding, exhausting.
At 7:30 a.m., a text message:
Jean-François Gaudreault is awake.
His role is clear. Every calorie counts. Every detail is calculated. At 8:00, we head out to grab snacks so Leïla has fuel all day. Breakfast is simple, precise: avocado toast, smoked salmon, fruit. JF and I get acquainted with the buffet.
If everything goes well, on weigh-in morning she might be able to treat herself to an espresso and a few nuts.
JF never panics.
He always finds solutions.
This isn’t his first rodeo.
Leïla has complete trust in him.
Together, they’ve never failed.
Today, she will look Alycia Baumgardner straight in the eyes.
Before heading out for the face-off, Leïla and I go for a run. A light jog—just enough to wake up the body and calm the mind.
Photo: Jade Masson-Wong and Leïla Beaudoin
Meanwhile, Jade Masson-Wong — Leïla’s training partner, now based in Miami — stops by to pick up JF. Together, they head out to run errands. Everything needed to cook, nothing more, nothing less.
The road to Coral Gables
Through the truck’s window, Miami rolls by like a scene too bright for what we’re about to experience:
palm trees, luxury cars, villas surrounded by water.
Then the address appears:
620 Arvida Parkway.
An 80-million-dollar mansion.
Not a gym.
Not a conference room.
A setting worthy of a movie.
Photo: Anthony Joshua, Leïla Beaudoin, Alycia Baumgardner and Jake Paul
MVP never does things halfway.
The cameras are there.
The technicians too.
Security.
The energy builds.
In the truck, we laugh.
That’s our trademark.
Relaxation through laughter.
But intensity in the mission.
The theater of champions
Jake Paul walks in.
Anthony Joshua as well.
Two opposite worlds.
And yet, the crowd is captivated.
But they’re not why we’re here.
— Leïla, we’re calling you in two minutes.
She nods.
She knows exactly what to do.
The face-off
Two worlds that should never have crossed paths find themselves face to face, in a Miami mansion.
Silence falls.
Then eyes lock.
Alycia speaks. A lot.
Leïla listens.
She doesn’t miss a second.
She absorbs.
She calculates.
She smiles.
Cameras crackle.
Time stands still.
The contrast is striking:
— the former unified champion, loud, imposing;
— the calm Québécoise, underestimated… wrongly.
At that exact moment,
the fight becomes real.
Photo: Alycia Baumgardner and Leïla Beaudoin
Back to the Fontainebleau — easing back down
In the car, we laugh.
We imitate Alycia.
We twist her words.
We turn them to our advantage.
Everyone processes it in their own way.
Leïla looks out the window.
She replays the scene on a loop.
She knows.
Baumgardner will come for everything.
So will she.
Alycia told her:
“I know what it’s like to be the underdog. I still carry that feeling, always.”
Back at the hotel, we go to the front desk. We change Leïla’s room. We want a bathtub. A kitchen. There wasn’t one yesterday. Today, there is. She’ll be better there.
She repacks her bags, even though she already felt settled in.
But the effort will be worth it.
No other activity today.
Change rooms.
Eat.
A light micro-workout, just to move.
Fight week is only just beginning.
But one thing is already clear:
Respect will not be given.
It will be taken.
Tomorrow, easy cardio.
No schedule.
No cameras.
