Lani Daniels

Bio

Right then, meet the newly crowned unified IBF and WBO super-middleweight champion of the world. Lani Daniels is from Whangarei, New Zealand, and on April 17, 2026 she pulled off the biggest upset of the year in women's boxing — stopping the unbeaten Shadasia Green in the ninth round at Madison Square Garden to win two world titles.

Let's not beat around the bush — Daniels has been grinding. A career spent at cruiserweight, heavyweight and super-middleweight. Fights taken on short notice. Belts won and lost in quiet corners of the sport that most fans never paid attention to. She previously held the IBF women's heavyweight title and the WBO women's heavyweight title before dropping down to super-middleweight for a proper shot at the pound-for-pound lists.

Make no mistake, this was not a smash-and-grab. Daniels worked the body from Round 1, cut off the ring, and forced Green into the kind of wars the champion did not want. When her opening came in Round 9, she took it with both hands. Referee waved it off after a sustained barrage on the ropes.

She's 36 now and has no time to waste. The undisputed super-middleweight fight against Claressa Shields is the biggest payday in women's boxing. That fight is the one she wants — and after last night, she has every right to demand it. Proper champion. Proper story. Proper fight fan's fighter.