“I can make weight comfortably and keep all my power,” Shields said. “I was undisputed twice at 160, and I wasn’t my strongest, but over the years I’ve gotten stronger.”

Shields explained that Scott’s willingness to accept the fight is the reason she decided to return to middleweight after previously vacating her titles.

“I want to thank Kaye for taking this fight, but because of you I have to lose 20 pounds,” Shields said. “If you hadn’t taken this fight, I wouldn’t have come back down to middleweight.”

Scott believes the weight cut could become a deciding factor as the fight progresses.

“The aspect of her dropping the weight is definitely my advantage,” Scott said. “I’ve done some heavy weight cuts in the amateurs, and it can be draining on the body. I sit comfortably at middleweight. I’m hoping in the later stages of the fight that my endurance will come through.”

Shields disagreed, insisting experience and technique outweigh any physical concerns.

“Skill overrides everything,” she said. “I could be tired and have skill. I can be weak and have skill. People think that it’s all about strength. But I just know how to win.”

The matchup will headline DAZN’s Aug. 15 card from State Farm Arena and marks Shields’ first professional appearance in Atlanta. She is attempting to become only the second heavyweight champion, male or female, in more than a century to win a recognized world title after moving back down in weight.

The event will also be the first major boxing card headlined by two women at State Farm Arena. Zeus Network will stream the undercard beginning at 6 p.m. ET before DAZN’s main broadcast starts at 9 p.m. ET.