Cris Cyborg and Claressa Shields Agree to Openweight Bout – Battle of Combat Sports Royalty
Multi-organization MMA world champion Cris Cyborg has proposed the idea for an openweight fight against all-time great multi-weight boxing champion Claressa Shields. ‘GWOAT’ Shields accepted the idea for an openweight match.
Cris Cyborg vs. Claressa Shields
Brazil’s Cris Cyborg is an MMA Grand Slam champion having captured world titles in the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, Invicta, and, most recently, the PFL. Outside of MMA, she has professional wins in Muay Thai, Submission Grappling, and boxing.
The US-born unbeaten Claressa Shields is an icon in boxing having won two Olympic gold medals as an amateur. Then cemented her greatness by capturing professional titles in the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, WBF, and others, across multiple weight divisions. Most recently, she captured the heavyweight throne by way of knockout.
On X, Cris Cyborg pitched an openweight bout against Shields by Tweeting: “Let’s bring back [Royce Gracie] style fights. [Claressa Shields ] 30 pounds heavier than me. Let’s do a no weight limit, open weight fight. [PFL MMA].”
Claressa Shields was quick to accept the bout responding: “Oh Cris Cyborg wanna fight open weight! BET! Let’s do it at 154, 160 in boxing! I’ll put all my belts up “Turki Alalshikh]”
Lastly, Cyborg said: “We literally have the same MMA promoter. I don’t even walk at 160 pounds. If you want to fight boxing get off the cookies and chips and make 147 it could all be so simple but you’d rather duck competition. If you can’t cut the weight then show up a sloppy 175lbs to the cage.”
It seems both Cris Cyborg and Claressa Shields want the fight but can’t agree on the sport. Cyborg, the MMA all-time great, wants to fight in MMA while the boxing great wants the match in boxing. While both fight under the PFL banner in MMA, Shields is putting all of her belts on the line in boxing.
