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The 27-year-old from Shawinigan, Que., was scheduled for a bout Friday night in Orlando against fellow Canadian Natasha Spence (8-6-2, 6 KOs), ranked 10th among middleweight contenders by the World Boxing Association.

Thibeault and Spence were set to make history as the first women to compete in three-minute rounds at the professional middleweight level.

"I'm super happy, I'm really excited," Thibeault said in a phone interview. "It's the first time in history that this is happening in a professional debut, and it's an honour to be part of history like this. For me, it's the standard: I've been doing three-minute rounds for years."

Thibeault has represented Canada at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

She was a favourite in Paris after reaching the 75-kilogram quarterfinals in Tokyo, but suffered a surprise defeat in her first match, losing by split decision to Cindy Ngamba of the Olympic Refugee Team.

That loss ended a three-year streak that included gold medals at the 2022 IBA World Amateur Championships, the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Pan American Games.

Despite the unexpected setback in Paris, Thibeault’s negotiations with MVP were already well underway.

"I’ve been negotiating with MVP for about a year. Regardless of the Olympic results, MVP was interested," said her manager, Katia Banel. "I met (MVP's Head of Boxing) Mike Leanardi a few months ago and again before making our decision.

"Compared to other offers, whether from Matchroom or Boxxer, MVP’s initial offer was always the highest financially, and they presented it first. They offered something unparalleled: a huge signing bonus. Olympians without medals usually don’t have access to such bonuses. They also pay the highest purses in women’s boxing, even for four- or six-round fights. It’s unheard of. It’s like being paid for a 10-round fight."

MVP plans to make the most of its new protégé. Thibeault will fight at least four times a year over the three-year contract.

"What’s great with MVP is that we can negotiate higher purses for each fight," Banel said. "They’ve been very open to negotiating every clause."

This report by °µÍø½ûÇø was first published Dec. 13, 2024.