Ronda Rousey’s highly anticipated MMA return was supposed to be the undisputed main event. But off the mat inside Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome, Claressa Shields just caught a massive penalty. The undefeated boxing phenom is now officially locked out of all future Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) events. The trigger? A backstage physical clash with fellow boxing champion Alycia Baumgardner. Read more on Claressa Shields and how this rivalry spilled out of the ring.
The chaos erupted during MVP’s heavily marketed Rousey vs. Carano card. Fans tuned in to watch Rousey execute a blistering 17-second comeback victory. Quick work in the cage. But the real friction happened behind the curtain, hijacking the night’s headlines entirely.
Reports place the two champions in a VIP area where a bitter war of words quickly escalated. Video clips currently saturating social timelines show Shields allegedly slapping Baumgardner’s hand away. Security and bystanders had to swarm the scene before the tension could spiral into a full-blown brawl.
MVP did not hesitate to intervene. The promotion released a rigid public statement shutting down the confrontation. “MVP maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for hostile, threatening, or aggressive behavior,” the company declared. They made it explicit that physical clashes outside the ring or cage are unacceptable in any MVP environment.
Going a step further, the promotion claimed the actions of Shields “reflect poorly on MVP and women’s sports,” specifically pointing to their active push to elevate female combat sports globally. The ruling is final for now. Shields is banned “until further notice.”
Baumgardner stepped to the mic shortly after with a heavily calculated response. She stated her focus remains locked on her career and confirmed she plans to handle the backstage confrontation both “legally” and “professionally.”
Black Cosmopolitans already know this bad blood is far from fresh. These two have traded venom online and in interviews for years. Even though they dominate entirely different weight classes, the mutual disdain runs deep. Shields has publicly dragged Baumgardner’s past performances and openly accused her of using performance-enhancing drugs—a claim Baumgardner flatly denies.
Shields is keeping quiet for now. She has yet to issue a public response to the MVP ban. Meanwhile, the timeline is deeply divided. Some boxing purists argue this is exactly the raw, unfiltered rivalry women’s combat sports need to pull premium eyeballs. Others insist that physical altercations in a VIP section cross a hard professional line.
Regardless of where you stand, one fact remains absolute. The hostility between these two queens of the ring is burning hotter than ever.
