Key points:
- Claressa Shields stopped Kaye Scott by TKO at 1:38 of round six to win the WBA and WBC middleweight titles
- The win makes Shields a titleholder in five different weight classes across her career: 154, 160, 168, 175, and heavyweight
- Troy Isley and Ashleyann Lozada also won by decision on the undercard
- The scheduled Ernesto Mercado fight was cancelled entirely after both his original opponent and a late replacement missed weight
Claressa Shields added a fifth different weight class to her championship résumé on Saturday night, stopping Kaye Scott in the sixth round to reclaim the WBA and WBC middleweight titles at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Shields (18-0, 3 KOs) cut down more than 15 pounds to return to 160, and the class difference showed early. She broke Scott down steadily through the first five rounds before finishing the job at 1:38 of round six, forcing the stoppage against the 42-year-old challenger-turned-defending-champion. It’s Shields’ second reign as a middleweight titleholder, having previously held belts at the weight between 2018 and 2024, and it adds to championships she’s already won at 154, 168, 175, and heavyweight.
Elsewhere on the card, Troy Isley outpointed Joseph Hicks by unanimous decision (97-92, 96-93, 96-93) in a competitive middleweight bout, and Ashleyann Lozada took a clear decision over Paulette Cuesta (99-91, 100-90, 100-90). Bernice Ferreira won her fight with Caroline Veyre by disqualification in round eight.
The night’s one true oddity came before the opening bell: Ernesto Mercado’s scheduled fight against Emmanuel Tagoe was scrapped entirely after Tagoe missed weight, and his late replacement, Roger Hilley, then missed weight as well, leaving Mercado without an opponent altogether.
With opponents at her own level growing scarce, Shields is already being linked to two possible next fights. A mega-matchup with unified welterweight champion Lauren Price, pitting two Olympic gold medallists against each other, has reportedly been discussed, alongside a potential fight with Mikaela Mayer.