Alycia Baumgardner is no stranger to title fights. At 28, she became the undisputed champion of the women’s super featherweight, or 130-pound, division, unifying four title belts back in 2023. But Baumgardner, now 31, had her sights set on something even bigger: proving that women boxers could and should fight under the same rules as men, specifically that their rounds should be three minutes instead of the two-minute rounds that have been the standard.

Tonight, Baumgardner gets the chance to prove her point to fans and, more importantly, boxing’s sanctioning bodies, as her title defense against South Korean contender Bo Mi Re Shin is set for 10, three-minute rounds. If that sounds like a minor detail, consider that tonight’s main event, slated for 10 p.m., will be the first time that ESPN broadcasts a women’s boxing match with three-minute rounds. It will also be the first women’s boxing title fight with three-minute rounds at Madison Square Garden, a venue known for hosting some of the sport’s most historic fights.

The distinction between two-minute and three-minute rounds for women is so entrenched in boxing that it’s the reason Baumgardner is currently a unified champion, meaning she holds multiple belts at the same weight, instead of the undisputed champion, still holding every recognized 130-pound world championship. She defended her undisputed championship once in 2023 but relinquished the World Boxing Council belt in 2025 because she wanted future defenses at three minutes, which the WBC refused to sanction.

Her last fight, a successful title defense over Leila Beaudoin, went the full 12, three-minute rounds. That fight was on Netflix, and by the time it came, Baumgartner had already dropped the WBC belt and thus, her undisputed status.

Baumgardner, who has a 17-1 record with 7 knockouts, will defend the WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine belts tonight.