Cecilia Brækhus


Cecilia Carmen Linda Brækhus is a Colombian-born Norwegian former professional boxer and kickboxer. She reigned as the undisputed female welterweight boxing champion from 2014 to 2020, and is the first woman in any weight class to hold the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles simultaneously. Brækhus is also one of only 11 boxers in history, male or female, to hold all four major world titles simultaneously. She held the IBO title from 2016 to 2020. Brækhus won the WBC and WBO female super-welterweight titles in her final fight before retirement in October 2025.
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. Brækhus held the WBC and WBA titles for 11 years and 154 days between 14 March 2009 and 15 August 2020.
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Early life

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

Kickboxing career (semi-contact)

  • 2003 WAKO World Champion, Semi Contact 65 kg
  • 2002 WAKO Euro Champion, Semi Contact 65 kg
  • 3 National Championships
  • 2 H.M. The King's Trophy

Amateur boxing career

Brækhus fought 80 matches and won 75 of them.

Professional boxing career

In November 2007, Brækhus signed a pro contract with German promoter Wilfried Sauerland, who announced his intention of making her the first Norwegian female World Champion. Her first fight was against Croatian boxer Ksenija Koprek on 20 January 2007. On 14 March 2009, she became the WBC World Champion in welterweight against Danish boxer Vinni Skovgaard and also claimed the vacant WBA female welterweight title. Brækhus successfully defended her titles on later that year on 30 May against Amy Yuratovac in Helsinki, Finland, and on 12 September 2009, against Lucia Morelli in Herning, Denmark.
Eight months later, on 15 May 2010, Brækhus successfully defended her WBA and WBC titles against American boxer Victoria Cisneros in Herning, Denmark, while winning the WBO title. In a unanimous decision, the judges declared the fight for Brækhus, having won all 10 rounds. On 30 October 2010, Brækhus successfully defended her WBA, WBC and WBO titles in Rostock, Germany against Mikaela Laurén from Sweden, while winning the World Professional Boxing Federation title. Brækhus won by knockout in the 7th round.
In 2010, Brækhus was voted the "Female Boxer of the Year" by German boxing magazine BoxSport. On 14 September 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.
On 5 May 2018, HBO broadcast its first women's bout, between Brækhus and Kali Reis, where Brækhus successfully defended her titles.
Brækhus lost her titles to Jessica McCaskill by majority decision in a contest staged in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 15 August 2020. A rematch in Dallas, Texas on 13 March 2021 saw McCaskill take a unanimous decision win.
Brækhus claimed the vacant interim WBC female super-welterweight title with a unanimous decision win over Maricela Cornejo in Las Vegas on 10 August 2024.
Having previously announced her intention to retire, in her final fight as a professional boxer, she defeated defending WBC and WBO female super-welterweight champion, Ema Kozin, by unanimous decision at Nova Spektrum in Lillestrøm, Norway, on 4 October 2025.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
42Win39–2–1Ema KozinUD104 Oct 2025Nova Spektrum, Lillestrøm, NorwayWon WBC and WBO female super welterweight titles
41Win38–2–1Maricela CornejoUD1010 Aug 2024Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas, U.S.
40Draw37–2–1Terri HarperMD107 Oct 2023Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
39Win37–2Marisa Joana PortilloUD617 Dec 2022Commerce Casino, Commerce, California, U.S.
38Loss36–2Jessica McCaskillUD1013 Mar 2021American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, U.S.For WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO, and inaugural The Ring female welterweight titles
37Loss36–1Jessica McCaskill1015 Aug 2020Downtown Streets, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.Lost WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
36Win36–0Victoria BustosUD1030 Nov 2019Casino de Salle Medecin, Monte Carlo, MonacoRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
35Win35–0Aleksandra Magdziak LopesUD108 Dec 2018StubHub Center, Carson, California, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
34Win34–0Inna SagaydakovskayaUD1021 Jul 2018Olympic Stadium, Moscow, RussiaRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
33Win33–0Kali ReisUD105 May 2018StubHub Center, Carson, California, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
32Win32–0Mikaela LaurénTKO6, 1:3521 Oct 2017Oslofjord Convention Center, Stokke, NorwayRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
31Win31–0Erica FariasUD109 Jun 2017Bergenhus Festning, Bergen, NorwayRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
30Win30–0Klara SvenssonUD1024 Feb 2017Spektrum, Oslo, NorwayRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
29Win29–0Anne Sophie MathisTKO2, 1:051 Oct 2016Spektrum, Oslo, NorwayRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
28Win28–0Chris NamúsUD1027 Feb 2016Gerry Weber Stadion, Halle, GermanyRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO female welterweight titles;
Won vacant IBO female welterweight title
27Win27–0Jennifer RetzkeUD1029 Nov 2014Falkoner Center, Frederiksberg, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO female welterweight titles
26Win26–0Ivana HabazinUD1014 Sep 2014TAP1, Copenhagen, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles;
Won IBF female welterweight title
25Win25–0Jessica BalogunUD107 Jun 2014Sport- und Kongresshalle, Schwerin, GermanyRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
24Win24–0Myriam LamareUD101 Feb 2014Arena Nord, Frederikshavn, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
23Win23–0Oxandia CastilloTKO9, 1:517 Sep 2013Arena Nord, Frederikshavn, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
22Win22–0Mia St. JohnTKO3, 1:3813 Apr 2013Arena Nord, Frederikshavn, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
21Win21–0Anne Sophie MathisUD1022 Sep 2012Arena Nord, Frederikshavn, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
20Win20–0Jessica BalogunUD101 Jun 2012MCH Kongrescenter, Herning, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
19Win19–0Ku'ulei KupiheaTKO10, 0:573 Dec 2011Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, FinlandRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
18Win18–0Chevelle HallbackUD107 May 2011Koncerthuset, Copenhagen, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
17Win17–0Jill EmeryUD102 Apr 2011MCH Kongrescenter, Herning, DenmarkRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
16Win16–0Eva BajicKO3, 0:2720 Nov 2010MCH Kongrescenter, Herning, DenmarkRetained WBC and WBO female welterweight titles
15Win15–0Mikaela LaurénTKO7, 0:4030 Oct 2010StadtHalle, Rostock, GermanyRetained WBA, WBC, and WBO female welterweight titles
14Win14–0Victoria CisnerosUD1015 May 2010MCH Kongrescenter, Herning, DenmarkRetained WBA and WBC female welterweight titles;
Won vacant WBO female welterweight title
13Win13–0Lucia MorelliUD1012 Sep 2009MCH Messecenter, Herning, DenmarkRetained WBA and WBC female welterweight titles
12Win12–0Amy YuratovacUD1030 May 2009Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, FinlandRetained WBA and WBC female welterweight titles
11Win11–0Vinni SkovgaardUD1014 Mar 2009Sparkassen-Arena, Kiel, GermanyWon vacant WBA and WBC female welterweight titles
10Win10–0Borislava GoranovaUD825 Oct 2008Weser-Ems Halle, Oldenburg, Germany
9Win9–0Cimberly HarrisUD820 Sep 2008Seidensticker Halle, Bielefeld, Germany
8Win8–0Nicole WoodsUD621 Jun 2008Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, US
7Win7–0Adelita IrizarryUD617 May 2008Oberfrankenhalle, Bayreuth, Germany
6Win6–0Tatjana DieckmannUD629 Mar 2008Sparkassen-Arena, Kiel, Germany
5Win5–0Wanda Pena Ozuna4, 1:4726 Jan 2008Tempodrom, Berlin, Germany
4Win4–0Borislava GoranovaUD623 Jun 2007Stadthalle, Zwickau, Germany
3Win3–0Olga BojareUD426 May 2007Jako Arena, Bamberg, Germany
2Win2–0Jana Latova2, 0:1217 Feb 2007Complexe sportif, Evere, Belgium
1Win1–0Ksenija Koprek420 Jan 2007St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland