Cecilia Brækhus (40) challenges Patricia Berghult of Sweden (27) for the WBC title at super welterweight. The World Cup matches took place in his home country, Colombia.

– I thought it would be an adventure, Brækhus told VG.

She was the queen of world boxing and had all the World Cup belts at welterweight for many years, before two defeats against Jessica McCaskill pushed her off the throne. It’s now more than a year since Brækhus was last in the ring, but he wants to end his career in style at a new heavyweight.

VG +: All matches, facts, photos and videos from Brækhus’s career

It is Brækhus’ main sponsor, Betsson, who has now announced that Berghult will be an opponent in a competition in Colombia on 13 August.

Early in his career, Brækhus had boxed in World Cup matches against two Swedes. She beat Mikaela Laurén twice, and Klara Svensson once. Brækhus has a total of 36 wins and two losses in his career.

Berghult picked up her first major World Cup title in November when she beat Switzerland’s Olivia Belkacem on points in Jönköping. Berghult has 15 wins, three by knockout, and is unbeaten in his professional career.

– Emotionally

– There was talk of boxing in Colombia before, but I wasn’t ready. Coming back and boxing in the country I was born in can be emotional, says Brækhus.

The 40-year-old woman was adopted from Colombia when she was two, and has not lived in the country since. Now he is back, and will be boxing for the World Cup title in Cali, which is indeed 100km away from where Brækhus lived in his first years.

He hasn’t been to Colombia since he was adopted in the early 80’s, and grew up in Bergen with his adoptive parents Jorunn and Martin Brækhus.

Parents have taken part in most of the boxing matches in Brækhus, and now a new chapter is being written.

– My first “home” to Oslo when the ban on professional boxing was finally lifted was beautiful and special. Now it looks like it will be a great competition in an open stadium, Brækhus explains.

– How is your interest in Colombia?

– I hope that I will be well received there, and may not be invited if there is no interest. “I have a strong name in boxing outside of Norway,” said Brækhus, who is currently in New York to watch the big game this weekend between Ireland’s Katie Taylor and Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano.

They met at Madison Square Garden, and all four major lightweight World Cup belts were in the pot. This is probably the biggest fight in the history of women’s boxing.

– At least it has the potential to be so. Symbolically, with two women topping the show at Madison Square Garden for the first time, it was probably the biggest, Brækhus said.

Ringside in New York

Lightweight would now be three heavyweights under Brækhus, but there’s little doubt that Norwegian drone boxing would be very relevant for such a fight if he didn’t lose to McCaskill.

– Is it a little sad for you that you are not one of those who will box in this fight?

– Absolutely not! It’s a big win for everyone, in the same way that women boxed in the Olympics.

It also cannot be ruled out that Brækhus will be very relevant for some very big matches again. American Claressa Shields previously had the Berghult World Cup title and the Brækhus box. Now Brækhus hopes to collect all the belts in super welterweight.

– Yes, and Marie Eve Dicaire’s next destination, said Brækhus.

Dicarie has an IBF belt, British Natasha Jonas has a WBO title and British Hanna Ranking has a WBA title. The latter lost to Berghult in 2019.

PS! Shields also has all the major belts in the middleweights – a class above where Berghult and Brækhus will now box.