DAZN Boxing's No. 3 women's pound-for-pound fighter makes her return to the ring as Claressa Shields defends her WBA, WBC, IBF middleweight titles on Saturday against Ema Kuzin from Motorpoint Arena Cardiff in Cardiff, Wales.
Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) only competed in the sweet science one time in 2021, a dominant unanimous decision win over Marie-Eve Dicaire to become the undisputed women's super welterweight champion. The two-time Olympic gold medalist put her primary focus on mixed martial arts, going 1-1 under the PFL banner. For 2022, Shields is going to make boxing her top priority.
A win over Kuzin puts her in position for a clash against the last person to beat her, Savannah Marshall. First things first is Kuzmin and Shields doesn't plan on overlooking her.
"I want to break Ema Kozin down," Shields recently told DAZN News. "She’s going to want to come forward, and she's going to want to try to fight. She is going to throw as many punches as she wants to, but the defense won't be on point.
"I'm going to pick my shots and land some very clean shots, and it's going to be a big eye-opener for Ema Kozin. She's going to want to take a step down after we fight."
Kuzin (21-0-1, 11 KOs) comes in having stopped two of her last three opponents, including her last fight, a second-round TKO over Radana Knezevic in May.
Here is everything you need to know about Claressa Shields vs. Ema Kuzin.
When is Claressa Shields vs. Ema Kuzin, date, start time?
Date: Saturday, Feb. 5
Main card: 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. GMT
Shields vs. Kuzin ringwalks (approx): 5 p.m. ET /11 p.m. GMT
The main card gets underway at 3 p.m. ET /11 p.m. GMT with Shields and Kuzin scheduled for a 5 p.m. ET /11 p.m. GMT ring walk. These timings are subject to change due to the length of the undercard bouts.
What channel/stream is Shields vs. Kuzin?
U.S.: PPV, Fite TV
UK: Sky Sports, Fite TV
Shields vs. Kuzin can be seen in the United States on cable/satelitte pay-per-view. The fight will be streamed live on PPV.com and Fite TV in the U.S. In the UK, you can watch on Sky Sports and can stream via Fite TV.
Where is the Shields vs. Kuzin fight?
The fight will take place from Motorpoint Arena Cardiff in Cardiff, Wales
Claressa Shields record and bio
Nationality: American
Born: March 17, 1995
Height: 5-8
Reach: 68"
Total Fights: 11
Record: 11-0 (2 KOs)
Ema Kuzin record and bio
Nationality: Slovenian
Born: December 2, 1998
Height: 5-8 1⁄2
Reach: N/A
Total Fights: 22
Record: 21-0-1 (11 KOs)
Claressa Shields vs. Ema Kuzin fight card
- Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Williams; Middleweight
- Claressa Shields vs. Ema Kozin for Shields’ WBC/IBF/WBA Women’s Middleweight title
- Caroline Dubois vs. Vaida Masiokaite; Women's Lightweight