Shields to challenge for light-heavyweight world titles

Claressa Shields will move up to light-heavyweight to situation Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for nan unified title connected 27 July successful Detroit.

American Shields, 29, will beryllium aiming to go a four-weight world champion.

The vacant WBO light-heavyweight title will beryllium connected nan line, arsenic good arsenic Lepage-Joanisse's WBC belt.

"This is simply a important and unsocial conflict wherever I americium moving up 2 weight classes against a very reliable champion successful my quest to go world champion successful my 4th weight division," Shields said.

Lepage-Joanisse's WBC title is classified arsenic 'heavyweight' by nan sanctioning assemblage but it is contested astatine nan light-heavyweight limit of 12st 7lb (175lb).

Canadian Lepage-Joanisse is 1 of 2 reigning light-heavyweight world champions arsenic nan WBA and WBO do not person a existent loop holder.

The 28-year-old has 7 wins and 1 conclusion connected her master record, having won nan WBC title successful March.

"It doesn't matter to maine whether it's Claressa aliases personification else. My life is each astir challenges," Lepage-Joanisse said.

Shields is considered 1 of nan champion female fighters successful nan world and was nan first fighter, antheral aliases female, to triumph undisputed titles successful 2 different weight classes.

The Flint autochthonal past fought successful boxing a twelvemonth agone erstwhile she successfully defended her WBO, WBA, IBF, WBC and Ring mag middleweight titles against Maricela Cornejo.

Shields besides fights successful MMA and competed successful her 3rd bout successful February, defeating Kelsey De Santis connected points arsenic they became nan first women to compete successful a master mixed martial arts conflict successful Saudi Arabia.

Shields is undefeated successful 14 pro boxing fights.

Her heaviest weight was erstwhile she fought astatine super-middleweight successful 2017 and 2018 erstwhile she was astir nan 12st (168lbs) limit.

Lepage-Joanisse weighed successful astatine 12st 5lb (173lb) for her past fight.