Kal Sajad
BBC Sport at Canon Medical Arena, Sheffield

Cupid can strike in the most unexpected of places. In 2017, in her second pro bout, Jessica Camara outpointed Erika Jeanette Hernandez.

Camara says she felt "sparks" during their weigh-in and the rest is history. Two years later, the pair married.

I met my girlfriend the good old fashioned way… swiping right on her face on my smartphone.

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking of Kali Reis...

Time to plug an interview I did with the former world champion and Golden Globe nominee late last year.

Reis hasn't fought since that victory against Jessica Camara in 2021 and has since moved into acting with her biggest role today coming in TV series True Detective alongside two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster.

The American spoke candidly about wrestling with her identity, health issues, struggles with drink and prescription drugs and her careers in boxing and acting.

• Read the story here

Image source, BOXXER

While Caroline Dubois is just settling into her career as a professional, Jessica Camara is on the home straight.

Camara is 36 and made her professional debut in 2017.

The Canadian, nicknamed 'the Cobra', has 13 victories from 17 fights, with 10 wins coming by decision and three inside the distance.

Camara has challenged once previously for a world title but came up short against Kali Reis in a light-welterweight contest in 2021.

She enters the ring tonight on the back of three successive victories with her most recent win coming against Choi Hyun-mi in April 2024.

Tonight will be the first time she competed on British soil.

Neither woman had any issues making weight on Friday, but Jessica Camara did take exception to Caroline Dubois getting in her face at the final staredown.

"She was up in my face and shoving me, I felt a little bit of disrespect today so I had to show her what's up," the Canadian said.

Dubois seemed to enjoy the bit of needle and says she saw "a lot of fear" in her opponent's eyes.

"I'm so confident, I'm so calm. I don’t think anyone can get under my skin," she said.

"She's a pebble in my shoe right now and I need to kick her out of the way."

Mind games, eh?

Image source, BOXXER

Image source, BOXXER

Image source, BOXXER

Image source, BOXXER

It's not a fight night if we don't bring you some hand-wrapping snaps from backstage, right?

Image source, Boxxer

Image source, Boxxer

Kal Sajad
BBC Sport at Canon Medical Arena, Sheffield

I have been told a number of tickets were sold today after League One side Barnsley Football Club's away trip to Northampton Town FC was cancelled.

Barnsley's Callum Simpson is defending his British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles against Steed Woodall in the main event.

There may only be 3,000 mostly Yorkshiremen and women in the crowd, but they're certainly making some noise. I've been at much quieter events - with twice the number of fans - in recent times.

Image source, Getty Images

Before we get too far into tonight's build-up it seems right to take a moment to wish WBC lightweight champion Caroline Dubois a happy birthday.

The Londoner turns 24 today and what better way to mark such an occasion than to make your first world title defence?

Image source, PA Media

Caroline Dubois' promotion to world champion in December capped a fine 2025 for the family after brother Daniel legitimised his world-title reign with a dominant win over Anthony Joshua in September.

The siblings are the second brother-sister world champions - more on that later.

However, Caroline's achievement was somewhat bitter-sweet. She left her family home following a rift with her father, Stan, in 2023 and has reportedly not spoken to her brother either.

Stan and his daughter have given their versions of the feud in separate interviews, and without getting too drawn into the details, the boxing champion says the sport provided solace during some "dark moments".

"I just keep reminding myself of the positives and the blessings instead of all the sadness and the negatives that come with being a human being," Dubois said.

"How many people are going to say they wanted to do something at nine years old and be doing it at 24?

"If boxing was taken away from me tomorrow, I would be devastated. I would be broken. So you just remember that when it gets a little bit tough."

Caroline Dubois has had to overcome many obstacles to forge a career in the sport that she loves, including posing as a boy to get into a gym as a child.

The new year is under way and we're all full of optimism, right?

While we're in the first couple of weeks of January and with the rest of the year yet to be plotted out from a boxing perspective, now is your chance to dream and make some predictions.

What fights do you want to see this year?

Who from the UK will end the year with a world title draped over their shoulder?

Get involved via all of the usual channels; #bbcboxing on X, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply).

Kal Sajad
BBC Sport at Canon Medical Arena, Sheffield

The Canon Medical Arena is home to the men's Sheffield Sharks and women's Sheffield Hatters basketball teams.

There may be a world title on the line, but this is a small hall show venue. I was here for Terri Harper's world title win over Rhiannon Dixon in September. On that night, I compared it to my local leisure centre, which may be a little harsh. But there were less than 1,000 fans in attendance. Tonight you can expect a bigger number, but not by much. The capacity is at around 3,000.

Image source, BOXXER

Caroline Dubois might be defending her lightweight world title tonight against Jessica Camara but that isn't the main event in Sheffield.

Barnsley's Callum Simpson and Birmingham fighter Steed Woodall top the bill.

Simpson is making the first defence of his British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles.

Dubois and Camara are expected to make their ringwalks at around 21:00 GMT.

Image source, BOXXER

Caroline Dubois walks to the ring tonight with the WBC lightweight title in her possession, however, the Briton didn't beat a champion to earn the belt.

Dubois, 24, outpointed Uruguay's Maira Moneo in August to win the interim WBC title and was upgraded to champion on 11 December after Ireland's Katie Taylor opted to vacate.

Taylor, who defended her undisputed light-welterweight crown against Amanda Serrano last month, hasn't fought at lightweight since 2022.

"It's always been my dream to become world champion and this is just the start of the journey for me," said Dubois.

The move mirrors how Dubois' brother Daniel, 27, was upgraded to IBF heavyweight champion in June after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.

Image source, BOXXER

I know it's far too late on 11 January to be wishing you a Happy New Year but... Happy New Year!

We signed off 2024 with a magnificent title bout when WBA (Super), WBC and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk defended his belts in a rematch against Tyson Fury, so it's only fitting that we begin 2025 with a title contest too.

Briton Caroline Dubois makes the first defence of her WBC lightweight title against Canadian veteran Jessica Camara in Sheffield.

Shall we get stuck into some build-up?