After beating Dee Dufoe by decision in six in what turned out to be her first fight held outside Michigan (the fight was held in Indio, California), Byrd was given the opportunity to challenge for a world championship for the first time: On August 2, 1997, she defeated defending champion Nora Daigle to become the IFBA world Lightweight champion, in Biloxi, Mississippi.
But, on her second defense, held on June 30, 1998, she lost her title, and her undefeated mark, to Russian Zulfia Koutdoussova, who, as a consequence, inherited the media attention that Byrd was receiving.
Byrd rebounded with three consecutive decision wins, and she was given a second chance at becoming a world champion, when she met Laura Serrano of Mexico on September 2, 1999.
Initially, she had success fighting at a lower weight class, conquering the vacant IFBA intercontinental title with a ten-round unanimous decision over Brenda Vickers on May 19, at Ignacio, Colorado.
Her next, and so far last, fight, took place on June 28 of that year, when she and Puerto Rico's Belinda Laracuente drew (tied) in an eight rounds non-title bout held at Coconut Grove, Florida.