After being probably the most dominant feminine boxer for almost 5 years, Claressa Shields is ready to discover the realm of blended martial arts. ‘T-Rex’ will make her MMA debut on June 10 in opposition to Brittney Elkin.
Shields’ first MMA struggle will likely be underneath the PFL banner. Nevertheless, the much-awaited matchup won’t be part of the promotion’s common season. Shields and Elkin will collide in a showcase light-weight bout. Shields’ MMA debut announcement was made by the PFL in April earlier this yr.
In 2020, the undisputed mild middleweight champion revealed that she intends to take a break from boxing and swap to MMA.
Shields managed to ascertain herself as probably the most embellished feminine pugilist in her five-year-long boxing profession. She received the WBA and IBF mild middleweight title in 2018 and went on to grow to be the undisputed champion the next yr.
General, Claressa Shields has amassed an ideal 11-0 skilled boxing document. Her most up-to-date outing was reverse Canada’s Marie-Eve Dicaire, whom she defeated through unanimous choice in March this yr.
Regardless of switching to MMA, Shields has repeatedly pressured that she has not retired from boxing, and can proceed to field sooner or later.
Why did Claressa Shields be part of PFL as an alternative of the UFC?
Claressa Shields v Ivana Habazin – Media Exercise
Claressa Shields’ picture-perfect boxing document made her the most well-liked feminine boxer on this planet. That stated, if somebody with as huge a stature as Shields decides to modify to MMA, followers will most actually query if she’s becoming a member of the world’s main MMA promotion – the UFC.
Shields, nevertheless, stated she would fairly hone her total skill-set earlier than signing with the UFC. In an interview with MMA Fighting, the 26-year-old revealed she had a dialog with Dana White about her MMA debut. She stated:
“It was simply the dialog. It wasn’t like ‘hey come and prepare a number of months after which struggle in opposition to the very best woman we now have at your weight,'”. “I really feel like that’s unfair to me. It’s not giving me sufficient time to study. If you happen to’re speaking about letting me prepare for 2 years after which struggle in opposition to the very best woman you’ve, all proper cool”.
“The dialog with Dana (White) was nearly like a one-fight deal type of a bit bit. With the PFL it was extra like ‘let’s prepare, let’s begin you off at this degree and as you’re employed your manner up, the competitors will get more durable’ after which I’d have an opportunity to struggle within the PFL season in 2022.”