Undisputed women’s heavyweight champion Claressa Shields has been banned from all Most Valuable Promotions events after a physical altercation with unified women’s junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner at MVP MMA 1 over the weekend.
As theGrio previously reported, Shields successfully defended her undisputed heavyweight title against Franchon Crews-Dezurn in February, continuing a dominant run that has made her the most decorated woman in boxing history, and she has remained one of the sport’s most outspoken personalities, unafraid of confrontation inside or outside the ring.
ESPN reported that the Claressa Shields MVP ban was announced Monday in a statement posted to X, effective immediately.
Most Valuable Promotions is aware of the incident during MVP’s Rousey vs. Carano event on Saturday night involving physical contact by Claressa Shields toward Alycia Baumgardner.
— MVP – Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) May 19, 2026
MVP maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for hostile, threatening, or aggressive behavior toward… pic.twitter.com/gUbXTsBH4I
“Effective immediately, Claressa Shields is banned from all MVP events until further notice,” the promotion said. “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.”
Video from the event at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles shows Shields and Baumgardner exchange words before Shields reached across and slapped Baumgardner’s hand away. MVP called the behavior a violation of its zero-tolerance policy. “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,” the statement continued.
Shields pushed back on social media after the incident, suggesting Baumgardner had been verbally aggressive and had threatened her physically before the slap.
— Alycia Baumgardner (@alyciambaum) May 19, 2026
The ban did not soften Baumgardner’s response. She released her own statement Monday calling the incident “unprovoked and entirely consistent with the individual involved,” adding that she was “physically assaulted without provocation” and that the matter “has been and will continue to be handled legally and professionally.”
Shields and Baumgardner have had a public rivalry for years, trading verbal jabs across social media and at industry events. The ban does not affect Shields’ current boxing contracts.
