However, the controversial intergender bout never came to fruition and Shields is now just days away from fighting in MMA for the first time since suffering a split decision loss in October 2021.
‘The GWOAT’ will face 1-2 MMA fighter Kelsey DeSantis at PFL vs Bellator: CHAMPS in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night – but she’s still got Thurman on her mind.
In a recent interview with Gillie & Wallo, Shields claimed to be ‘bigger, longer, and more skilled’ than the former unified welterweight world champion while breaking down their potential fight.
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The 28-year-old faced backlash on social media for her comments about Thurman, but stands by them wholeheartedly despite being branded ‘delusional’ by one of her rivals, Alycia Baumgardner
“What is the issue? I would understand it being an issue if I said I’d knock Keith Thurman out. I would understand people being in an uproar about that,” Shields told talkSPORT.com
“A two-time Olympic gold medallist, 13-time world champion, a three-time undisputed champion, saying I have better skills is a problem?
“Everyone making a big [thing] about that needs to shut up crying.
“If Keith can downplay the greatest woman of all time and say he’ll put on bigger gloves and [fight with] one hand, you’re dang right I can say I’m a better boxer than him because it’s the truth.
“I ain’t never been dropped with a body shot. I ain’t lost in my career, I’ve got more belts than him, more gold medals than him, and I move better than him.
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“If he can talk that trash about me, I’m going to talk that trash on him.”
The American confidently predicted a KO win for the son of boxing legend Kostya Tszyu before revealing the crux of her beef with Thurman, who she feels is underestimating her simply because she is a woman.
Shields added: “Keith Thurman, he’s not that great of a fighter. He’s good, not great.
“Me, I’m great regardless of whether I am a woman or not. They want me to bow down like, ‘Keith Thurman is a man, he was a world champion so that makes you less than him’.
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“So, for him to even say it is disrespectful to me and women’s boxing, but nobody is making a big deal out of that because he disrespected me.
“When he disrespects me it’s okay, but when I disrespect him it’s a problem. Whatever!”