Claressa Shields Challenges Cris Cyborg to Come Knock Her Out at 154

Published 02/20/2024, 1:02 PM EST

Cris Cyborg, who is a former champion in MMA and has a perfect record of 3-0 in boxing, has been for quite some time expressing her confidence in defeating the undisputed middleweight champion Claressa Shields in a boxing match. Cyborg, currently sidelined from MMA competition, revealed her interest in pursuing boxing fights through a video message.

In the video, Cyborg challenged Shields to a catchweight bout, highlighting her own knockout power despite her limited boxing experience. “Even with my inexperience, I believe at 147 [pounds] I can kill anyone in the world,“ she stated, calling on Shields’ to come down to welterweight and offer her a fight. Claressa Shields, not one to let things slide, has now fired back at her. Here’s what she had to say to the Brazilian-American fighter.

Claressa Shields asks, “What’s the holdup?”

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Claressa Shields, a two-time undisputed champion, isn’t budging from her weight class. She has been undisputed in both light middleweight and middleweight divisions. Responding to callouts from both Alycia Baumgardner and Cris Cyborg, Shields emphasized her dominance across multiple weight divisions.

“I’m not going down to 147,“ Shields declared. “She (Baumgardner) called me out, not the other way around. If she wants to fight the best, she knows where to find me: at 154, where I’ve held undisputed titles and unified at super middleweight,” she said, referring to her unified title at super middleweight as well.

Shields extended the same challenge to Cyborg, questioning her hesitation to fight at a higher weight. “Cris Cyborg says she can knock me out at 147. Ok, so you should be a little bit stronger at 154. So come knock me out at 154. What’s the hold-up? I don’t think it’s a hold-up. I think that those fights could be made.”

With this statement, Shields asserts her authority and invites both challengers to face her on her terms, solidifying her position as a force to be reckoned with in the boxing world. Moreover, she even went further to point out how it would be easier for Baumgardner to gain weight than it would be for her to lose weight.

Shields claims it is easier to gain weight than lose it

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Claressa Shields isn’t convinced by her challengers’ weight concerns. She pointed out Alycia Baumgardner’s ability to gain weight quickly, questioning why Baumgardner couldn’t fight her at 154. “I’ve seen Baumgardner around camp before,“ Shields said. “Back then, she fought at 130 and weighed 134 outside of camp. Now, after the whole PED scandal, she’s suddenly walking around at 148? If she can be that weight, why is she afraid to fight me at 154? Gaining weight is much easier than losing it,” she claimed.

Shields also addressed Cris Cyborg’s suggestion for her to lose weight for a fight at 147. “Cyborg wants me to diet and lose weight for a 147-pound fight? I haven’t fought at 140 since I was 16. I’m almost 29, and there are no belts at 147 anyway. Why would I do that?” questioned Shields.

Claressa Shields’ Boxing Career Crucified by “Inexperienced” Cris Cyborg With Reality Check

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Shields’ stance remains clear: she’s willing to fight both challengers but only at her weight class. What do you think about the situation? Do share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

My passion for sweet science began at the tender age of 12, a gift from my father who introduced me to the legendary persona of Muhammad Ali. In my heart, 'The Rumble in the Jungle' still remains to be the pinnacle of sporting history. Over the years, my fervor for boxing remained intact, although life's commitments sometimes deviated me from being a hardcore fan of the sport.

Edited by:

Gokul Pillai

Claressa Shields Challenges Cris Cyborg to Come Knock Her Out at 154

Claressa Shields asks, “What’s the holdup?”

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Shields claims it is easier to gain weight than lose it