Alycia Baumgardner couldn’t come up with a more appropriate challenger for her debut as a homecoming headliner.

Christina Linardatou couldn’t think of a more ideal fighter to face, to claim the undisputed championship crown.

“This something that I think any boxer dreams of,” Linardatou said during Thursday’s final pre-fight press conference ahead of her upcoming rematch versus Baumgardner. This is the biggest thing that a boxer can achieve. She has already done it. I already beat her and I think I can do it again.”

The two will collide this Saturday on DAZN from Masonic Temple in Baumgardner’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan.

Baumgardner (14-1, 7KOs) defends her fully unified junior lightweight championship versus Linardatou (14-2, 6KOs) in a rematch nearly five years after their first meeting. Linardatou prevailed via eight-round, split decision and went on to twice win the WBO junior welterweight title.

The 35-year-old Dominican—who has lived in Athens, Greece since age ten—has not quite thrived, however. Her first reign began eight months after her win over Baumgardner in a March 2019 win over Kandi Wyatt. It. ended two fights and eight months later in a November 2019 defeat to Irish superstar Katie Taylor (22-1, 6KOs), who immediately vacated the belt to resume her undisputed lightweight championship reign.

Linardatou regained the belt three months later but her career was shut down by the pandemic and an ensuing pregnancy, the latter which forced her to relinquish the title. Just one win has followed, while Baumgardner has emerged as a pound-for-pound talent and armed with title wins over Terri Harper, Mikaela Mayer and Elhem Mekhaled to fully unify the division amidst her current seven-fight win streak.

Baumgardner is a -1000 betting favorite according to bet365 sportsbook, who lists Linardatou as a +600 underdog to repeat her July 2018 feat, predating their respective title runs.

“When I go to fight as an underdog, I can’t fight any other way. I have to go get it,” acknowledges Linardatou. “I can box, move around, I have many skills. But I have to go and get it.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox