Caroline Dubois has revealed she was struck down by an illness on the day of her fight with Terri Harper.
Dubois dropped her British rival Harper in the course of taking a unanimous decision victory at Kensington's Olympia on Sunday evening.
The win saw her unify Harper's WBO lightweight title with her WBC championship. As well as the threats Harper posed, Dubois had to contend with falling sick too.
"Today I woke up with the worst flu I ever had. I was [thinking] today of all days, this has happened," Dubois said after the fight.
"Waking up today not feeling 100 per cent, I've been walking around with a cold towel over my head, wrapped around my neck.
"I was feeling not the best and I was just telling myself to pace this fight.
"This was a test. I pushed through and I was able to get the victory."
Now a unified world champion Dubois will benefit from the experience of her 10 rounds with Harper.
"It was really tricky because she was a lot smarter than I thought she was going to be. She's smart and she's experienced. She knows how to get through a fight. She knows how to box," the Londoner said.
"I've only been in the ring 13 times [as a pro fighter] and I'm still working out how to navigate the rounds, navigate the pressure and all that stuff. But I think I did okay.
"I know if I had pushed the fight and pressed the fight I would have taken her out, but it was experience. I give her credit, she was very smart, she was trying to be as smart as she could."
Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions which represents her, would like to match Dubois with Katie Taylor, the two-weight undisputed champion, Olympic champion and superstar of Irish boxing.
"My dream scenario is for Caroline to be the last dance partner for Katie Taylor," Bidarian said.
"Maybe Katie Taylor seizes an opportunity to, not pass the baton, but give Caroline the opportunity to take the baton from her.
"I think that will be a massive fight at Croke Park."
Dubois would welcome that fight, but is not expecting it.
"I've got a lot of time for Katie, I think she's a legend. If she said, 'Caroline Dubois, let's do this', she wants to test herself against me, I would jump at the opportunity. Who wouldn't? Who honestly would say no to Katie Taylor?" Dubois said.
"She's a legend it would be an honour to step in the ring with her."
It is, though, not a target for Dubois. She wants a showdown with American rival Alycia Baumgardner.
"We'll see who truly is the best. That's the fight I want by the end of the year. There's no need to waste time. There's no need to mess around. Let's make it happen, the best versus the best, there's 5lb difference [in weight]. She's older than me, she's more experienced than me, let's see.
"That's the fight I want. I would take it over a unification bout. I know she's going to run a mile from this fight.
"If she wants to say I can do more, I'll have another unification.
"The biggest fight in women's boxing, I want that fight. I want Alycia, I want her next."
