07 June 2023 , 21:45
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PFL star Abby Montes has demanded Claressa Shields fight her again after the legendary boxing champion "disrespected Mexico" ahead of her last undisputed title defence.
Shields faced Maricela Cornejo last weekend with her undisputed middleweight titles on the line, and during their pre-fight press conference declared that "Mexican fighters can't beat her" in a boxing ring. She almost immediately clarified the line by adding Puerto Rican, African American and white fighters also couldn't defeat her, but headlines were already made.
And Mexican fighter Montes, who handed Shields her sole loss as a professional fighter in any discipline when they met in the PFL cage in October 2021, has taken issue with her rival's outburst. The 23-year-old, who returns to action tomorrow night on DAZN from Atlanta, has said that she will fight Shields under any rules, be it in a ring, a cage or even on the street.
"I want the rematch," she told Mirror Fighting in an exclusive chat. "Anywhere, MMA, boxing - the street? Who knows? For me she disrespected Mexico, the flag and I would like to fight her again but we'll see what happens. There are a lot of people that can help me and a lot of people that want to see that fight so let's see if we can get that done."
And Montes feels that Shields' perceived disdain for Mexican fighters stems from having lost to one when the pair fought in the smart cage. At the time, the American had been training with Jackson Wink, and after winning her debut took a step up to face the youngster, who at the time was just 21.
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Abby Montes defeated Claressa Shields in their 2021 MMA fight (Cooper Neill)Do you think Claressa Shields should face Abby Montes in a PFL rematch? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Shields showed off her impressive hand speed in the stand-up, but her limitations around the grappling allowed Montes to take over when the fight went to the ground. The Mexican fighter trains under famed wrestler and MMA legend Antonio McKee, and her superior ground game was the difference as she squeaked through by split decision.
"I think that she's kind of mad with Mexicans after what happened with me, but she's got to be more humble and at some point it's going to catch her back... my boxing has gotten better over time so I feel pretty confident in it and pretty comfortable so I would like to box at some point."
Shields has since gone on to become one of the biggest stars in all of boxing, male or female, headlining major arenas in London and Detroit. She is a two-weight undisputed champion in the ring and is still eyeing up a return to the cage once she has time to return to her training.
You can watch Abby Montes face Brandy Hester in her PFL return live on DAZN this Thursday night in a featured featherweight bout