WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder believes double Olympic champion Claressa Shields is the 'female version' of him.

Shields recently became a three-weight world champion after she beat Croatia's Ivana Habazin by unanimous decision last month.

And Wilder feels Shields deserves a lot of the credit for how far women's boxing has come in recent times. 

He said: "Claressa Shields is amazing. I think she’s definitely leading the way for women’s boxing. I’m happy to see that, because women deserve the same respect as men.

"I look at her as a female version of me. You go in, speak it, talk some s***, and do what you got to do, to give the fans what they want to see. 

"I hope they get a pay rise, too. People, go out and support the women, man. There is nothing sexier than a woman who can defend herself and knock your a** out."

Wilder is currently preparing to fight Tyson Fury on February 22 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, Shields has not yet announced who she will be fighting next.