Claressa Shields now expects the Lauren Price fight to land in early 2027, not at the end of this year.
Shields is moving back down to middleweight first. The unbeaten American challenges Kaye Scott for the WBA and WBC titles on Aug. 15 in Atlanta, then wants another fight at 160 pounds before the Price matchup gets serious.
Shields’ own fight-week push for the Scott date is below.
In a BBC Sport interview, Shields put the Price fight on a 2027 timeline and explained why she wants another middleweight date first.
“When I look at Lauren fight, she’s very explosive. She’s fast. She got a lot of skill. I can’t wait to get in there and showcase my skills against her,” Shields said.
“I will have this fight and I’d love to fight again at the end of the year at 160lb [middleweight],” Shields said.
“I thought it was going to Lauren, but I don’t know when Lauren is getting back in the ring. But I think me and her will fight in 2027, in the first quarter.”
Shields Already Put The Fight In America
The newer 2027 timeline follows an earlier interview in Cardiff, where Shields sat ringside for Price’s win and made the matchup sound real even while drawing hard lines on weight, venue, and status. Watch the interview below.
“She’s Olympic champion. And she’s undefeated. She’s hungry. And she feels that, you know, she’s next best and that she’s skilled enough to beat me in a fight.”
“I’ve let all these girls know that 160 is the lowest option. Really 165 honestly, but, you know, for some who are smaller or who complain about me being too big and too strong, I said that I would try and, you know, eat a few less burgers to get down to 160.”
“Lauren tonight is fighting in front of 7,000 people. I fought in front of 18,000 in my last fight. I’ve had sold out events my last three fights. So, to be fighting in 16,000, 18,000, we know that I’m a big draw. That my fans are coming out to see me and as far as it me and Lauren Price, I am the bigger star. I’m the more accomplished fighter. I’m pound-for-pound number one.”
“Lauren is, I don’t think Lauren is big enough for me to come over here and fight against her in the UK. She has to come to America, you know, if she really wants the smoke.”
“Lauren is not faster than me. I saw the film. You’re 5’5″. You look fast. Your arms are short. You’re not faster than me. I’m looking into the camera when I say that, so when she see it, she know. I thought you would have came with something better than that. And also, no, your speed is not faster than mine. Your footwork is not better than mine. You don’t punch harder than me. And as far as defense, we know you got work on that.”
“I’m looking forward to fighting against a girl who has some of that same experience, you know, Olympic champion, undefeated, a girl who’s scared to lose her O. And I’ve fought girls who were undefeated, but they weren’t Olympic champions. I think Olympic champions are very, very hard to beat because of course I’m one.”
“Hey, you got me here. So, go ahead and do your thing, girl. I’m watching. And maybe after the fight, you know, I tell you a few your mistakes you can work on so you don’t have those same mistakes when we fight. So. But yeah, either way it goes, I look forward to seeing you fighting in person so I can dissect you some more.”
Price Still Has To Move Up
Price is the unified welterweight champion and has not fought since her April win over Stephanie Pineiro. Her side previously spoke about a two-fight deal, but the schedule has slowed since the two unbeaten Olympic gold medalists faced off in Cardiff.
The weight jump is the real boxing problem. Price would be moving up from welterweight to middleweight, while Shields says she expects the Welsh star to take a tune-up first and get her “feet wet” in the division.
In that same written interview, Shields also praised Price’s Olympic pedigree.
“She’s an Olympic gold medallist and undefeated. For her to have the skillset at 5ft 7in or something and go to the Olympics at 165lb and win an Olympic medal… you have to have a hell of a lot of skill, a hell of a lot of power.”
Shields has only lost once in boxing, to Savannah Marshall in the amateurs, and then beat Marshall as a professional at London’s O2 Arena in 2022. Price brings a different profile: a southpaw Olympic champion with WBA, WBC, IBF and Ring welterweight titles, an unbeaten 10-0 record, and a 165-pound amateur pedigree from Tokyo.
Shields’ heavyweight run included her unanimous decision win over Franchon Crews-Dezurn. The Price matchup is different because it pairs two unbeaten Olympic champions while asking Price to carry her form into a higher weight class.
That boxing focus also tracks with Shields’ recent stance that her MMA run is on hold while she chases bigger fights in the ring.
Shields’ drop back to 160 pounds for the Kaye Scott title fight now has a clearer runway: Scott on Aug. 15, another middleweight date, and then Price in early 2027.
