Claressa Shields Says She Will Participate in Both Boxing and MMA Events

Former Olympic boxer Claressa Shields is currently on media rounds after the exciting news that she’s made a move to MMA. Shields recently announced that she’s signed with the Professional Fighters League [PFL] and intends to begin a serious MMA run. The world champion boxer has the opportunity to make a huge splash in the sport should she get off on the right foot.

Chiefly, ‘T-Rex’ has expressed a sentiment that women’s boxing doesn’t have the same opportunities as men’s boxing. She believes that her recent signing with PFL will afford her the opportunity to take her career to the next level. Given the success that former Olympian Kayla Harrison has had in PFL, fans are excited to see what’s in store for Shields.

Claressa Shields on handling both MMA and Boxing

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto asked the undisputed female middleweight champion whether she planned on driving her focus towards just one of the sports. Chiefly, it’s clear that given her boxing pedigree, Shields feels she can handle both sports simultaneously. Furthermore, her intense work ethic could easily make her one of the biggest names in women’s combat sports.

She said, “I’m still gonna box and do MMA at the same time. I could box in my sleep. That’s not something I really have to worry about. I’m gonna spend a lot of time learning and just growing in MMA. I’m still gonna accept those mandatory challenges in boxing. I’m gonna fight those girls, I’m gonna beat them. But I plan on having maybe 2-3 boxing matches and 2-3 MMA fights next year.”

“Boxing is something I was born to do”- ‘T-Rex’ Shields

Claressa Shields made it clear that she won’t be competing in the 2021 season to possibly win $1 million. The top-ranked ESPN pound-for-pound women’s fighter wants to dedicate her first competitive year towards one-off fights. Her goal is to enter the tournament the following year and chase the lucrative paycheck.

‘T-Rex’ said, “I’m not gonna be in the tournament next year. I think I’ll fight 2-3 MMA matches next year. Like I said, boxing I can do in my sleep. Like I had two fights I think I fought November 17 then I fought December 8th. So that was three weeks apart. Both 10 rounds, world championship fights. I destroyed both girls and came out without a scratch, so boxing like I said, is something I was born to do.”

It’s clear that Shields has the star power to rise to the highest of heights in the sport of MMA. Her experience at the highest level has equipped her to handle the ebbs and flows that are a part of life in MMA. Moreover, she’s a natural on the mic and is able to make her presence known to fans from the get-go. How excited are you to see Shields enter professional fighting?

Also Read: Claressa Shields Aiming to Become the Muhammad Ali of Women’s MMA