What to Know
- Claressa Shields scored a knockout win in her return to the middleweight division over Kaye Scott, regaining two of her former titles.
- Also scoring undercard wins were Troy Isley, Ashleyanne Lozado, and an upset win by DQ for Bernice Ferreira.
- A packed house at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta for the Salita Promotions card included Floyd Mayweather, Terence Crawford, Shakur Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis, Richardson Hitchins, and the singers Usher, Brandy, Latto, and Kevin Gates among others.
Claressa Shields made her ringwalk well after midnight in the main event, and the crowd of celebrities and notable athletes at the packed State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday didn’t mind waiting, enjoying the party atmosphere.
All the stars in Atlanta! 🌟#ShieldsScott | LIVE NOW | Watch only on DAZN ◾ pic.twitter.com/iCX9oouSh0
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 16, 2026
Their patience was rewarded with a thrilling fight ending early. Shields of Flint, Michigan (19-0, 4 KOs) did serious damage round after round until the corner of Kaye Scott of Sydney, Australia. (5-2-1) asked the fight to be stopped after a knockdown and nearly six full rounds of punishment. Time was 1:38 of round six.
Claressa Shields Scores First Stoppage in Two Years
It was Shields’ first stoppage in two years, one she vowed she would get this week, and she delivered.
“This was a hard camp. It was a hard camp,” said Shields after her win. “I always tell myself that everything’s easy work, but it was a really hard camp. I cut 38 pounds. I started 14 weeks ago, I (weighed) 198, and then I got down to 160. It was the most disciplined I’ve been since the Olympics.”
It was all Shields from the first bell, looking sharp and powerful in her return to the middleweight division, regaining the WBC and WBA World Middleweight titles she once owned from a game but outgunned opponent.
Shields went on offense from the opening bell, putting a beatdown on Scott and raising a huge knot on the Aussie’s forehead early in the fight. She had success going to the body and said she quickly noticed she was getting to Scott with those shots.
“I started going to her body and breaking her down,” said Shields, adding in an effective jab. “All the girls are super tough and go 10 rounds … I do the same thing. I’m gonna go 10 rounds. So how can I knock her out? I got going to the body and seeing that my right hand was just landing. I’m like, get a little bit closer, take my time,” said Shields.
Shields said Scott was strong with more power than she anticipated, and she didn’t want to make a mistake and get caught “with nothing crazy,” especially as she said she didn’t have quite as much power at middleweight as she did at 175 pounds.
Although Scott got in a few decent power shots, she couldn’t compete with Shields’ speed, volume, and position in the ring. She gave it her best but she was eventually overwhelmed.
In the sixth round, Shields caught Scott at the end of a combination, seriously hurting Scott and scoring a knockdown.
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— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 16, 2026
“I just remember getting close and throwing the right hook, and I ‘d seen that she was trying to fight back. I threw the right and the left hook, and then she started wobbling and going down,” recalled Shields.
With about 30 seconds left in the round, Shields tried to close it down, but Scott’s corner threw every towel they had into the ring and the fight was over.
Shields was wearing a knee brace, saying she injured it in sparring and wore it as a precaution. “I felt really good, I feel really strong and I can’t wait to get some more fights at 160,” said Shields.
Those fights include Lauren Price of England, who is Shields’ preferred next opponent. But she’s also interested in fighting Mikaela Mayer and Tamm Thibeault of Canada, the other unified and Ring middleweight champion. It’s a positive development to see several worthy opponents for Shields over the next year.
Troy Isley Gets Decision, Aims for the Middleweight Champs Next
Middleweight Troy Isley of Alexandria, Virginia (16-0, 6 KOs) saw his second fight for Salita Promotions elevated to the co-main event against Joseph Hicks of Grand Rapids, Michigan (12-1, 7 KOs). After a fast start by Hicks, Isley got things under control, directed the rest of the fight while pushing Hicks back, and won a unanimous decision with scores of 97-92, 96-93, and 96-93.
Hicks came out strong in the first two rounds, popping Isley with some impressive shots. Isley then buckled down, making the fight a little messy and rocking Hicks to even up the scorecards after four rounds.
Isley lost a point near the end of round five for hitting Hicks in the kidneys, but it didn’t make a difference. The sold-out crowd got restless at times, wanting to see more action, but Isley stuck to his plan and left with the win.
Isley is ranked in the top ten of a division crying out for new talent. With this win, Isley should be in position to get a title challenge against Adames, Lara, or Bentley.
Ashleyanne Lozado Looks Sharp In Win Over Paulette Cuesta
Puerto Rican prospect Ashleyanne Lozado (5-0, 1 KO) showed off impressive body punching and power against a tough Paulette Cuesta of Tijuana, Mexico (19-5-1, 4 KOs), who managed somehow to make it to the final bell in an all-action fight. Lozado did what she could to stop Cuesta but had to settle for a dominant decision win. Scores were 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91.
Lozada finishing very strong! Great fight. #ShieldsScott | LIVE NOW | Watch only on DAZN ◾ pic.twitter.com/u11668DLCa
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 16, 2026
Lozado had Cuesta backing up and turning southpaw to avoid the southpaw body shots from landing. But Lozado has other tools including a solid left hook and right uppercut. Cuesta’s nose looked broken early in the fight. She also suffered a nasty cut from a punch. Give her credit for ending the fight on her feet.
Lozado should have more knockouts on her record. She is a protégé of Amanda Serrano, also a fearsome body puncher. She will be fun to watch as she rises through the super bantamweight division. Discussion about a title challenge against Skye Nicolson is a positive development.
Upsetting DQ Gives Upset Win to Ferreira over Veyre
Bernice Ferreira of Johannesburg, South Africa (12-0, 4 KOs) was giving WBC World Super Featherweight world champion Caroline Veyre of Montreal (11-2) all she could handle in her title defense with solid power punching and plenty of confidence coming forward. It was in Ferreira’s best interests to make the fight rough on the inside to neutralize Veyre’s solid boxing skills.
Veyre’s unfortunate habit of holding when facing an inside fighter cost her two points and nearly cost her the win over Delfine Persoon in her last fight. This time, Veyre reverted to that bad habit again. Referee Malik Waleed docked Veyre two points for holding.
In round 8, Waleed saw more holding. He stopped the action and sent Veyre to her corner, disqualifying her for excessive holding. Ferreira was handed the victory and becomes the WBC World Featherweight champion. Without a doubt it wasn’t the way Ferreira wanted to win, but she will return to South Africa with the green belt in her hands.
Two Undercard Fights Canceled Due to Weight Issues
Two main-card fights were canceled when fighters failed to make weight.
In the co-main event, Emmanuel Tagoe of Ghana was scheduled to face super lightweight Tito Mercado, but he came in ten pounds over the 140-pound limit. Tagoe tried to drop some of it but could only manage less than a pound.
Salita Promotions found a replacement opponent in Roger Hilley, and a fight was arranged. Hilley weighed in Friday at 155 pounds. Per the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, he had to weigh in Saturday at no more than 146.6 pounds, within seven pounds of Tito Mercado. Hilley’s trainer pulled him out of the fight when the weight cut didn’t go well.
The only silver lining is that Mercado was able to work the corner of his brother Daniel, who scored a first-round knockout win on the early undercard.
Light heavyweight Danielle Perkins of Houston came in four pounds over her weight limit, and her bout with Olivia Curry was scratched.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
