Cecilia Brækhus


Cecilia Carmen Linda Brækhus is a Norwegian professional boxer and former kickboxer. In boxing she has reigned as the undisputed female welterweight champion since 2014, and is the first woman in any weight class to hold the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles simultaneously. She is also one of only seven boxers in history, female or male, to hold all four major world titles simultaneously, along with Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Terence Crawford, Oleksandr Usyk, Claressa Shields, and Katie Taylor. In 2016, she captured the IBO title, becoming the first ever boxer to hold five world titles from sanctioning bodies simultaneously.
In 2017, the Boxing Writers Association of America named Brækhus their inaugural Female Fighter of the Year. Guinness World Records awarded her with three recognitions in 2018: the Longest Reigning Female Boxing Champion, the Longest Reign as a Four-Belt Undisputed Boxing Champion, and the Most Bouts Undefeated by a Female World Champion Boxer. As of May 2020, she is ranked as the world's best active welterweight, and sixth best active pound-for-pound female fighter by BoxRec.

Early life

Born in Cartagena, Colombia, Brækhus was adopted as a two-year-old by Norwegian parents and raised in the Sandviken area of Bergen. Brækhus started kickboxing at the age of fourteen.
Brækhus soon began competing in amateur boxing competitions, and achieved an amateur record of 75-5-0 before turning professional.

Kickboxing career (semi-contact)

Brækhus fought 80 matches and won 75 of them.
In November 2007, she signed a pro contract with German promoter Wilfried Sauerland, who announced his intention of making her the first Norwegian woman World Champion. Her first fight was against Croatian boxer Ksenija Koprek, 20 January 2007.
On 14 March 2009, she became the WBC World Champion in welterweight against Danish boxer Vinni Skovgaard. She also captured the vacant WBA female welterweight title.
Brækhus successfully defended her titles on May 30, 2009 against Amy Yuratovac in Helsinki, Finland, and on September 12, 2009 against Lucia Morelli in Herning, Denmark.
Eight months later, on May 15, 2010, Brækhus successfully defended her WBA and WBC titles against Victoria Cisneros from the United States, while winning the WBO title. The match was fought in Herning, Denmark. In a unanimous decision, the judges declared the fight for Brækhus, having won all 10 rounds. On October 30, 2010, in what was expected to be the hardest match of her career, Brækhus successfully defended her WBA, WBC and WBO titles against Mikaela Laurén from Sweden, while winning the World Professional Boxing Federation title. After Brækhus having dominated the whole match, she knocked Laurén out in the 7th round. The match was fought in Rostock, Germany.
On September 14, 2014, after defeating Croatian Ivana Habazin, Brækhus became the first Norwegian and the first woman to hold all major world championship belts in her weight division in boxing history. In 2010, she was voted the "Female Boxer of the Year" by German boxing magazine BoxSport.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
37 Jessica McCaskill– 15 Aug 2020 Tulsa, Oklahoma, USDefending WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring female welterweight titles
36Win36–0 Victoria BustosUD1030 Nov 2019 Casino de Salle Medecin, Monte Carlo, MonacoRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring female welterweight titles
35Win35–0 Aleksandra Magdziak LopesUD108 Dec 2018 StubHub Center, Carson, California, USRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring female welterweight titles
34Win34–0 Inna SagaydakovskayaUD1021 Jul 2018 Olympic Stadium, Moscow, RussiaRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
33Win33–0 Kali ReisUD105 May 2018 StubHub Center, Carson, California, USRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
32Win32–0 Mikaela LaurénTKO6, 1:3521 Oct 2017 Oslofjord Convention Center, Stokke, NorwayRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
31Win31–0 Erica FariasUD109 Jun 2017 Bergenhus Festning, Bergen, NorwayRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
30Win30–0 Klara SvenssonUD1024 Feb 2017 Spektrum, Oslo, NorwayRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
29Win29–0 Anne Sophie MathisTKO2, 1:051 Oct 2016 Spektrum, Oslo, NorwayRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
28Win28–0 Chris NamusUD1027 Feb 2016 Gerry Weber Stadion, Halle, GermanyRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO female welterweight titles;
Won vacant IBO female welterweight title
27Win27–0 Jennifer RetzkeUD1029 Nov 2014 Falkoner Center, Frederiksberg, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO female welterweight titles
26Win26–0 Ivana HabazinUD1014 Sep 2014 TAP1, Copenhagen, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles;
Won IBF female welterweight title
25Win25–0 Jessica BalogunUD107 Jun 2014 Sport- und Kongresshalle, Schwerin, GermanyRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
24Win24–0 Myriam LamareUD101 Feb 2014 Arena Nord, Frederikshavn, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
23Win23–0 Oxandia CastilloTKO9, 1:517 Sep 2013 Arena Nord, Frederikshavn, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
22Win22–0 Mia St. JohnTKO3, 1:3813 Apr 2013 Arena Nord, Frederikshavn, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
21Win21–0 Anne Sophie MathisUD1022 Sep 2012 Arena Nord, Frederikshavn, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
20Win20–0 Jessica BalogunUD101 Jun 2012 MCH Kongrescenter, Herning, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
19Win19–0 Ku'ulei KupiheaTKO10, 0:573 Dec 2011 Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, FinlandRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
18Win18–0 Chevelle HallbackUD107 May 2011 Koncerthuset, Copenhagen, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
17Win17–0 Jill EmeryUD102 Apr 2011 MCH Kongrescenter, Herning, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
16Win16–0 Eva BajicKO3, 0:2720 Nov 2010 MCH Kongrescenter, Herning, DenmarkRetained WBC and WBO female welterweight titles
15Win15–0 Mikaela LaurénTKO7, 0:4030 Oct 2010 StadtHalle, Rostock, GermanyRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
14Win14–0 Victoria CisnerosUD1015 May 2010 MCH Kongrescenter, Herning, DenmarkRetained WBA and WBC female welterweight titles;
Won vacant WBO female welterweight title
13Win13–0 Lucia MorelliUD1012 Sep 2009 MCH Messecenter, Herning, DenmarkRetained WBA and WBC female welterweight titles
12Win12–0 Amy YuratovacUD1030 May 2009 Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, FinlandRetained WBA and WBC female welterweight titles
11Win11–0 Vinni SkovgaardUD1014 Mar 2009 Sparkassen-Arena, Kiel, GermanyWon vacant WBA and WBC female welterweight titles
10Win10–0 Borislava GoranovaUD825 Oct 2008 Weser-Ems Halle, Oldenburg, Germany
9Win9–0 Cimberly HarrisUD820 Sep 2008 Seidensticker Halle, Bielefeld, Germany
8Win8–0 Nicole WoodsUD621 Jun 2008 Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, US
7Win7–0 Adelita IrizarryUD617 May 2008 Oberfrankenhalle, Bayreuth, Germany
6Win6–0 Tatjana DieckmannUD629 Mar 2008 Sparkassen-Arena, Kiel, Germany
5Win5–0 Wanda Pena Ozuna4, 1:4726 Jan 2008 Tempodrom, Berlin, Germany
4Win4–0 Borislava GoranovaUD623 Jun 2007 Stadthalle, Zwickau, Germany
3Win3–0 Olga BojareUD426 May 2007 Jako Arena, Bamberg, Germany
2Win2–0 Jana Latova2 17 Feb 2007 Complexe sportif, Evere, Belgium
1Win1–0 Ksenija Koprek420 Jan 2007 St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland