Claressa Shields, fresh off becoming just the second woman ever to become an undisputed world boxing champion, isn’t done chasing down history yet.
On Tuesday, it was announced the undisputed middleweight champ will attempt to become the fastest fighter in boxing history — male or female — to become a three-division world champion when she faces Ivana Habazin for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title on Aug. 17. The fight will be held at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint, Mich., Shields’ hometown, and air live on Showtime.
Join DAZN and watch more than 100 fight nights a year
“It’s hard to even put into words how excited I am to be returning home as undisputed champion and fighting in front of all my fans in Flint,” Shields said, via a Showtime news release statement. “And having the opportunity to become world champion in a third weight division faster than any man or woman in boxing history will make Aug. 17 a night I will cherish forever. It’s another big step forward in lifting women’s boxing on the road to equality.”
Since winning her second consecutive Olympic gold medal and turning pro in November 2016, the 24-year-old Shields (9-0, 2 KOs) has been absolutely sensational, most recently claiming the undisputed middleweight crown with a near-shutout over Christina Hammer in April.
The 29-year-old Habazin (20-3, 7 KOs), of Zagreb, Croatia, will be making her U.S. debut and can’t wait to test her skills against the self-proclaimed “GWOAT” (Greatest Woman of All Time).
“I’m actually a big fan of Claressa. She made history for women’s boxing and will be a great opponent for me. She’s very confident in herself, she’s aggressive, she can move, she has speed and good defense," Habazin said in the release. "But I have all of this too, and I can punch. I can’t wait to see what she is made of.”
