Brittney Elkin could go from bartender to spoiler in Claressa Shields’ MMA debut

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Final Saturday, Brittney Elkin was holding courtroom within the empty foyer of a boxing venue, Philadelphia’s 2300 Area, speaking to boxing individuals about blended martial arts between the open time of a day-night boxing doubleheader. She gave her small, encircled viewers a thumbnail bio of herself and in regards to the huge step she’s going to be taking subsequent—Claressa Shields.

Because the patrons started lining up in entrance of the 2300 Area doorways for the nightcap, Elkin returned again to her common job for the night—bartending.

Shields shall be making her MMA debut as a 155-pound, 5-round light-weight struggle in opposition to Elkin, preventing for the primary time in two years, on the Skilled Fighters League (PFL) tour on Thursday (ESPN2, 10 p.m. ET) contained in the bubble of the Ocean On line casino Resort in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey.

In her final struggle, Elkin, who’s 3-6 in MMA and can flip 35 this Friday, shattered her left forearm in three locations making it seem like a twisted spaghetti strand. She’s since heeled from that break, although she’s saved herself in unbelievable form. She obtained the decision on April 1, April Fools’ Day, from PFL matchmaker Ray Sefo whereas she was working an MMA struggle on the 2300 Area.

It occurred to be an occasion the place a fighter misplaced a finger, so Elkin was speaking to Sefo, whereas within the background over the PA system, the announcer was asking the patrons to search for a lacking ring finger.

It positively belongs within the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction division.

“I used to be speaking to Ray with all of this occurring within the background and it was April Fools’ Day, so I used to be excited about that, and your thoughts wraps round this stuff and earlier than we obtained off the cellphone, I stated ‘Sure,’ to preventing Claressa,” Elkin recalled. “I couldn’t recover from the cellphone name, and I referred to as Ray again to let him realize it was April Fools and this higher not be a f—g joke. I do know my MMA profession isn’t the best.”

Elkin is getting 10-10, $10,000 to make weight and $10,000 to win. Shields is making round $250,000 for the struggle.

Initially from North Dakota, Elkin has lived in Westminster, Colorado, for the final 15 years and simply moved to Philadelphia, the place she is the operations supervisor on the 2300 Area, doing every thing from taking tickets, to working the door and bartending, which was doing final week earlier than leaving for the Atlantic Metropolis bubble in preparation for the Shields struggle.

She’s been bouncing round totally different locations, residing in two totally different basements, one in Philly and one in Manhattan, New York. She has a background in jiu-jitsu and grappling, the place she is 19-9 in ADCC.

“All people is making a giant deal that Brittney Elkin is purple belt in jiu-jitsu, however MMA is not only jiu-jitsu,” Shields stated throughout a Zoom convention name. “It’s boxing, it’s kickboxing, it’s wrestling. It’s all these totally different arts and I don’t suppose individuals ought to simply rely me out as a result of I’m not a floor specialist.

“It’s about who can use what they know the perfect. I’ve practiced in all of them and I feel I’ve an ideal likelihood to win on Thursday and have an ideal transition.”

Elkins is aware of her position—she’s imagined to lose. She scoffs on the notion. She had, what she describes, as a “vicious” eight-week camp. She says she’s in the perfect form she’s been in years and he or she’s not ready to face there and get hit by Shields.

“Claressa has much more to chop than me, and larger elements are more durable to chop,” Elkin stated. “I’ve to make weight, and I really feel in nice form to try this. I’m so ready, and there’s no different option to say it, however that is most ready I’ve been. I’ve all the time been a bartender; I’ve been within the (combat-sports) trade and there are loads of plates to spin.

“I do loads of work for Roger (Artigiani, the proprietor of the 2300 Area) and I do know what they suppose. I f—g know I’m imagined to go in there and lose. I do know what I’ve to do to win. When Ray referred to as me, you need to take a look at me on paper. I’m 3-6, haven’t fought in two years, I haven’t gained since 2015 in MMA, so I’m good.

“I’m 5-11 and stroll round at 180, so I blame loads of my horrible fights on overcutting, getting right down to 145 kilos, and I all the time say 10 kilos of that’s my soul. I really feel this time serendipity helped me. I’ve a nutritionist, I’ve the precise coaches, I used to be in a brand new atmosphere and that’s pressured me to deliver my requirements up.

“Even after I broke my arm, I used to be coaching with my forged on in 2019, on the later, I used to be working once more. I’ve full use of my arm and I’m proper handed, with left-handed talents. I do know as soon as I get her down, I’ll be in good condition.

“I feel how cool it’s that Claressa obtained so far as she did in boxing. One factor I realized is MMA is a damning sport, and although I feel it’s she desires to do each, it’s not a simple transition and I don’t want her is sweet luck.”

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Journal/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America. He may be adopted on twitter @JSantoliquito.