Delfine Persoon
Photo Credit: Flanders Today
Record: 43-1-0 (18 KOs)
Belts won: Lightweight - WBC/WIBA/WIBF/WBF/EBU/IBF
Age: 34
Professional debut: 23rd May 2009
Born: Gits, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Fights out of: Belgium
Ring Style: Orthodox. Rangy, tight guard, with a sharp accurate jab. High work-rate, excellent footwork.
By Suzy “Q” Smith.
Delfine has been fighting professionally for 10 years. In this time she has won the EBU European Female Lightweight title, the IBF World Lightweight title (stripped due to inactivity), the WIBA, WIBF and WBF World Lightweight titles and the WBC World Lightweight title.
The only loss in Delfine’s career came early on, fighting 4-3, Zelda Tekin, on November 1st, 2010. Zelda was disqualified against Delfine in the previous fight. Delfine learned from this loss, going unbeaten in her next 34 fights.
Belgian, Persoon, is not only a professional boxer – as well as prize fighting, she works as a railway policewoman. Unfortunately women’s boxing, at present, is not as lucrative as men’s, forcing many fighters – even elite ones such as Persoon - to juggle a part-time job around their training.
Born in Gits, Belgium, Delfine followed her sister to ballet, but didn’t warm to it, instead preferring Judo, which she started with her sister at the age of 6. She switched to boxing, for fitness, when a back injury stopped her continuing Judo. Having turned professional in 2009, Delfine did not get a chance to compete in the Olympics and afford the great pro start, others now benefit from. Delfine had to build her way up slowly to challenge for titles and it wasn’t until her 13th fight on March 5th 2011 that she got a shot at the EBU European Lightweight title. Delfine fought Nicole Boss who was 5-2-1, coming off 2 wins, beating her by UD. Delfine only went on to defend this title once, on November 1st 2011, against Myriam Dellal, who was 7-3-2 and coming off 3 wins - she won by UD. The next fight on February 25th 2012, saw Delfine win the WIBF World Lightweight title against Lucia Morelli who was 17-2-0, and coming off 3 wins - she won by TKO in the 5th round.
The first major title (of the popularly recognised 4 main belts) fight came on September 21st 2012 for the IBF World Lightweight title, against Erin McGowan, who was 14-1-0 and coming off her only loss. Delfine won by TKO in the 7th round, although did not defend this title for a year, so was stripped in September 2013.
On December 13th 2013, Delfine once again fought Lucia Morelli who was now 18-3-0 and coming off a win. Delfine won by TKO in the 10th and final round to retain the WIBF, WIBA and WBF World Lightweight titles, which she has retained to this day.
The next fight was probably the biggest and best win of her career for the WBC title. On April 20th 2014, Delfine fought Erica Anabella Farias, who was 19-0. After a very competitive opening few rounds, Delfine’s experience showed, and she went on to win by UD, although by the final bell, the Belgian had two bleeding eyebrows.
Delfine has since made 9 defences of the WBC belt.
In summary, Delfine has had a solid career that has been slow in patches. She turned professional before women’s boxing was in the Olympics, so did not get a chance to gain from the publicity boost that many Olympians now receive. Her career began, at a time when recognition for female fighters was even more difficult to obtain, ultimately creating a tougher environment for her team to make the big fights. In truth, boxing is not just down to a fighter’s skill, it also depends on the skill of a fighter’s management and promotional team in negotiating and guiding them to the most profitable and high profile match-ups possible. As usual the sanctioning bodies like to strip fighters and despite winning the IBF title, and not losing a fight, it was stripped from her, and is now held by Katie Taylor.
June 1st 2019 will be the biggest fight of Delfine’s career to date, against Ireland’s super-star, Katie Taylor. The winner will not just be in possession of all 4 major belts, but will be crowned the true champion of the Lightweight division - The Lineal World Champion. One thing is for sure, although Taylor is the betting favourite, Delfine is vastly experienced, still at her peak, and is certainly capable of pulling off the upset.