American professional boxer Claressa Shields and multi-promotion MMA champion Cris Cyborg are entertaining a boxing vs. MMA super fight, following a fiery exchange of words on Twitter that ignited on November 6.
The spark was lit when Cyborg replied to a fan's post speculating about a potential showdown between the two fighters. Cyborg chimed in with the idea of a "145lbs super fight... MMA vs boxing."
Shields was quick to respond, asking for 154lbs, "You cut weight just like me," she remarked.
Cyborg told Shields to "kick rocks," pointing to her impressive 16 world championship victories in the 145lbs weight class as a solid reason for the fight. In the comments, Cyborg elaborated. "I don't fight drained... I have fought my entire career at 145 with great success."
Shields hit back at Cyborg's championship comment, "13x world champ across the board. Weight class don’t matter but you can agree to 154 or fight those smaller girls who you have the confidence that you can beat, you know you can’t beat me."
Cyborg replied, "How [are] you [a] 13x world champion with 12 pro fights? You so goofy. You’re right. Weight classes don’t matter. But why you picking rules then? Open weight whatever you want to step on the scale MMA fight. I will drop you on your head and dribble it like a basketball…but YOU know that."
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In the latest chapter of the drama, Shields told Cyborg to "cut it out" with the weight class speculations, "145 not even a boxing weight class, what the hell you talking about, and you can't KO me. Since when did weight class become such a barrier?"
Certainly, this argument comes in the wake of Francis Ngannou's remarkable professional debut against Tyson Fury on October 28. Ngannou's outstanding performance has sparked interest among numerous MMA fighters looking to venture into boxing for big money. Cyborg and Shields' spat is just a symptom of a larger exodus to boxing.
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