After defeating all before her in the boxing ring, it’s been reported Claressa Shields is to compete in MMA.
The news was announced by Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMAJunkie, who wrote that they were informed by two people with ‘ knowledge of the situation.’
The article went on to state that Shields has signed a contract with PFL to compete in stand-alone bouts. This would allow her to continue her boxing career as well as build her MMA resume. The article’s sources were anonymous as the PFL has not made any official statement about Shields joining the company.
MMAJunkie are not the only combat sports site reporting the news. The Athletics’s Mike Coppinger tweeted out that Shields will make her MMA debut on April 23.
The 25-year-old has been vocal about wanting to face the UFC’s Amanda Nunes, both in the ring and the Octagon, though Nunes has never appeared particularly receptive to the idea.
Shields’ record stands at 10-0, 2KO as a professional boxer and she is currently the undisputed women’s middleweight champion. If the PFL has signed the Flint native, then expect the promotion to get a lot more publicity in 2021. Shields has become one of the faces of women’s boxing, and there is bound to be huge curiosity as to how she would fare in MMA.
What do you make of this news?