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Most Valuable Promotions has banned undisputed women’s heavyweight champion Claressa Shields from all future events after a physical altercation with unified women’s junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner at MVP MMA 1 over the weekend, the promotion said Monday.
“Effective immediately, Claressa Shields is banned from all MVP events until further notice,” the promotion said in a statement on X. “There is a time and a place for fighter tension and banter, but to physically attack a fellow athlete while there as a guest inside a private VIP area is unacceptable.”
Shields and Baumgardner — who have been engaged in a war of words over the past couple of years — were both at the event at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles when they crossed paths. Video from the event shows Shields and Baumgardner exchange words until Shields reached across and slapped her rival’s hand away.
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“MVP maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for hostile, threatening, or aggressive behavior toward fighters, staff, media, or guests at any of our events,” the statement continued. “Physical altercations outside the ring or cage are unacceptable in any MVP environment. MVP does not condone, tolerate, or accept Claressa Shields’ behavior in that setting and it reflects poorly on MVP and women’s sports, which we have worked tirelessly to uplift.”
Shields took to social media after the incident, suggesting that Baumgardner was verbally aggressive and had threatened her with physicality before the slap.
Baumgardner released a statement of her own on Monday in response.
“The situation that occurred on Saturday was unprovoked and entirely consistent with the individual involved,” she said, adding that she was “physically assaulted without provocation.”
Baumgardner also said the “situation has been and will continue to be handled legally and professionally.”
