Claressa Shields was officially banned from all future MVP events following their physical confrontation with Alycia Baumgardner in California. The ongoing tension between the two boxers has now led to major consequences.
The incident unfolded during the MVP MMA1 event held Saturday, May 16, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The event marked the launch of Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA card and featured the highly publicized return of Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano.
The promotion company, co-founded by Jake Paul, partnered with Netflix for the major event, which quickly became overshadowed by the viral clash involving two of women’s boxing’s biggest names.
According to video footage circulating online, Baumgardner approached Shields inside a VIP section at the venue and extended her hand toward her. Shields immediately slapped the hand away before the situation escalated into a heated verbal exchange. Security personnel and nearby staff quickly intervened to separate the fighters before the confrontation intensified further.
Following the incident, Most Valuable Promotions released an official statement confirming that Shields had been banned from all MVP events until further notice.
“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,” the company stated.
MVP also praised venue security and acknowledged Baumgardner’s response during the confrontation. “MVP would like to thank venue security for their swift response in addressing and de-escalating the situation, and appreciate Alycia Baumgardner not retaliating and further amplifying the situation.”
The company emphasized that it maintains a “strict zero-tolerance policy” regarding hostile or aggressive behavior at its events. In its statement, MVP said physical altercations outside the ring or cage are not acceptable under any circumstances and added that the incident “reflects poorly on MVP and women’s sports, which we have worked tirelessly to uplift.”
Baumgardner later addressed the situation publicly through social media, claiming she was assaulted and insisting the altercation was unprovoked. She also referenced what she described as a larger pattern of behavior from Shields.
“This behavior follows a continued pattern from someone who has publicly celebrated other fighters’ brain injuries, initiated one-sided altercations at press conferences, and consistently displayed hostility toward other women,” Baumgardner wrote. “That conduct is unacceptable and should not be tolerated in any professional sport.”
The latest incident adds another chapter to the increasingly tense relationship between the two fighters, whose rivalry has played out publicly for months through interviews, online exchanges, and criticism over performances in the ring.
Despite the controversy, both women remain among the most accomplished athletes in boxing today. Shields, 31, is undefeated at 18-0 professionally, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and the undisputed heavyweight champion. Baumgardner, also 31, holds an 18-1 record and currently stands as the unified female featherweight champion under the MVP banner.
For now, the confrontation has shifted attention away from competition and directly onto the fallout surrounding one of women’s boxing’s most talked-about feuds.
