Caroline Dubois is ‘immature’ and overlooking me, says world title challenger Jessica Camara

Caroline Dubois knows exactly what she wants for her birthday on Saturday.

In her first world title defence, WBC lightweight champion Dubois fights Jessica Camara, live on Sky Sports, and she wants not only to beat the Canadian, but to win by knockout.

An inside-the-distance finish is what she will be pushing for in their clash at the Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield.

“It’s my birthday so a nice little present to myself,” Dubois, who turns 24 today (January 11), told Sky Sports.

“She’s game. She’s going to try. She’s going to come, give it her best. She’s going to come throw everything at me. But I’m going to be able to take that and give it back.”

Dubois puts her world title belt on the line on the same bill that sees an exciting clash between British and Commonwealth super-middleweight champion Callum Simpson and Steed Woodall

Camara, a seasoned pro, did caution Dubois. “She’s looking past me. She’s looking way past me,” the Canadian told Sky Sports. “Honestly I have more experience in the pros and I feel like I’m more mature. She’s immature. She doesn’t see the task she has ahead of her. She’s not really looking at that.

“It is a big mistake. She’s going to see.”

The Canadian is convinced she can turn over Dubois when they fight. “I believe in myself. I’ve put in the work. I’ve had a good but rough career. I’ve taken a lot of challenges and I feel like I have what it takes to beat Caroline,” Camara said.

“She’s a great fighter. I have a lot of respect for her but she’s no super-human. She is beatable and I believe I can do that.

“I believe I have what it takes to make adjustments in the fight and pull off the upset.

“I’m confident in my abilities. I’m confident in my skill. I feel strong. I believe in myself.”

Camara’s record is spotted with four career defeats but she has significant victories, including beating Hyun Mi Choi, a former world champion, in Korea last year.

Dubois, though, dismissed that.

“It’s okay. I never rated Choi. I feel like a lot of people know what Choi is all about she’s so inactive. She hasn’t fought for like a year. She was chasing other things and her mind was all over the place,” the Briton said.

“Jessica had the opportunity to do that. I’m sure Choi underestimated Jessica.

“For me that doesn’t mean anything because I would have stopped Choi, in my opinion.

“All I know is – I’m going to give her everything I’ve got and we’ll see. I know I’m going to win this fight. It’s just about how I get it done.”

‘This shows I’m serious’

Opening the live broadcast, which starts at 7.30pm on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+, will be Sam Hickey.

A star amateur boxer from Scotland, Hickey is going into only his second professional fight.

But he is already taking on an ambitious opponent. Hickey will box Lewis Howells. A Wales international himself as an amateur, Howells has lost once as a pro but that came against a good unbeaten fighter in Kyran Jones.

Hickey is embracing the challenge. “It says I’m serious about the sport really, doesn’t it? Not really a lot of boxers are doing this in their second fight,” the middleweight told Sky Sports.

“Obviously I come from a good pedigree in the amateurs but it just shows what I’m all about. I’m looking to fight guys who are coming to win and I think that’s going to play into my hands.

“The guy is a decent enough level but if he’s coming to win, he’s going to walk onto shots rather than a guy on his bike.”

Hickey was an impressive GB boxer, who won a bronze medal at the European Championships and gold at the Commonwealth Games. His weight class dropping out of the Olympic Games prevented Hickey from pursuing a place at Paris 2024.

The Scotsman plans to defeat Howells and chase further opportunities as a professional.

“Every fighter’s dangerous,” Hickey said. “I don’t want to be messing about. I’m here. It’s business. I need to put on a good performance and get people talking about me.

“Where I want to get to in boxing – I need to be beating guys like this. It’s good to test myself against somebody like this so early in my career.

“There’s going to be a lot of people watching, hopefully a lot of Scottish. I’m looking forward to it.”

Watch Callum Simpson defend his titles against Steed Woodall and world champion Caroline Dubois take on Jessica Camara on Saturday live on Sky Sports from 7.30pm.