Arum Questions Haney’s Offer, Claressa Shields’ Interaction With McGregor And A Title Fight

November 15, 2023
1 year

Bob Arum has opened up about Devin Haney’s 25 percent offer to fight Shakur Stevenson

Prior to Haney deciding to move up to 140, the ‘Dream’ made an offer to the WBC mandatory, Stevenson, for a shot at the belts.

The 25 percent offer, though, was knocked back by Stevenson. This was on the basis that it did not reflect his true value.

Although that may have been the case, Haney justified the offer. This was because he had taken the lower end of the stick when he fought George Kambosos Jr. on two occasions in Australia.

As such, Haney urged Stevenson to fight for all the belts and get a better split if he were to win. And yet, Stevenson did question whether Haney was serious. After all, he did move up to junior welterweight.

While Haney is the ‘champion in recess’ at 135 by the WBC, Stevenson doubted that the ‘Dream’ would return to lightweight to fight him. And those words were backed up by Arum. 

Arum On Haney

“No, I don’t think Haney was particularly anxious to fight Shakur because frankly, probably, it’s a fight that Shakur is going to win. It depends on who he [Haney] wants to fight. If he beats Regis, he’s going to look to fight Teofimo, and he’ll come back, and that’s a huge fight. “I don’t know.

“It depends on who he [Haney] wants to fight. If he beats Regis, he’s going to look to fight Teofimo, and he’ll come back, and that’s a huge fight,” Arum

Meanwhile, Claressa Shields has revealed the sage advice that she received following her recent return to MMA with her new PFL deal.

Shields’ return was confirmed when the undisputed middleweight champion in boxing confirmed her multi-year deal. And her MMA career so far has made some inroads. Her record stands at 1-1 with a stoppage win over Brittney Elkin in her first bout. 

However, her next fight was a loss against Abigail Montes via a split decision. And given that she has plenty to prove, the deal marked a new chapter in her career. 

Shields On The PFL

“I am excited to return to a fighter-first organization, and I can’t wait to return to The PFL SmartCage. My goal remains unchanged; I will be the first athlete to hold championships in both boxing and MMA simultaneously. I have grown so much since my first MMA fight and cannot wait to put my skills on display,” Shields said

But following that news, Shields admitted that Conor McGregor had reached out to her in order to impart some words of wisdom.

And rather than abandon her boxing skills, McGregor urged the boxer to focus on refining her skills to the best of her ability. And by the looks of it, Shields was receptive to the advice. 

Shields’ MMA Interactions

“Conor McGregor inboxed me. Conor actually gave me some of the best advice today actually. He was just like ‘Don’t take away from your boxing. You need to get comfortable being on your back and comfortable with your wrestling.

“That’s an honor and that’s a privilege for me, so thank you to Conor McGregor for that, and I look forward to working with him some,” Shields

But McGregor was not the only fighter that Shields had approached for advice. She expanded on having a conversation with Cris Cyborg.

The latter is one of the sport’s most dedicated athletes, having been in MMA for around two decades. And once again, having the chance to pick the brain of an MMA veteran only stood her in good stead.

“[Cyborg’s] one of the toughest and roughest female combat fighters in the world and she reached out. I may do some work with her. I don’t know,” Shield stated. “I know it’ll be next year, I don’t know if it’s February, March, or a little bit after that. I just really wanna hone my skills,” Shields

World Title Fight

From one champion to another, a purse bid will be held for the IBF flyweight title fight between the champion, Arely Mucino, and Gabriela Fundora

According to reports, the two fighters were unable to agree the terms for the mandatory bout as the deadline of August 13th, 2023, had not been met. 

As a result, purse bids have been called with a date currently pending. The fight had been ordered to take place on July 13th, 2023.

This was done, just as Mucino secured the belt with her split-decision victory over Leonela Paola Yudica last October. That victory extended Mucino’s fight streak to eleven wins in a row. 

In contrast, Fundora is a rising southpaw prospect at the age of 21. Her biggest win to date was a victory over former world-title challenger Maria Santizo on April 8th, 2023. 

And with so many bouts to look forward to, combat-sport fans are in for a treat. You can stay up-to-date with the latest happenings in the world of boxing and MMA by visiting boxingblitz right here.

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