Claressa Shields will have some big time help in her preparation for her return to mixed martial arts (MMA).
Shields recently spoke with Mirror Fighting and discussed her eventual return to MMA competition.
The boxing star said she’s looking to improve her ground game, and is gearing up to travel to Phoenix, Arizona to work on it with former dual-weight UFC champion, and Olympic gold medalist, Henry Cejudo.
“I am going to go to train with Henry Cejudo in Arizona and spend some time there,” Shields said. “I’ll get him to improve my wrestling and jiu-jitsu skills.
“Just becoming a better MMA fighter, there are a few things I want to sharpen up on. Somebody asked me ‘if you had to create the perfect fighter, who would you create?’
“Of course, I’d keep myself, but I would add Cejudo, Kamaru Usman, Jon Jones and Holly Holm. All of them have good attributes, but Cejudo is great.
“He’s a two-weight UFC champion and Olympic champion in wrestling. He mastered MMA so who better to work with than him?”
Shields is currently undefeated in her boxing career with a record of 12-0. She holds the WBF, WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring female middleweight titles. Shields made her MMA debut in June of last year, defeating Brittney Elkin via third-round TKO under the Professional Fighters League (PFL) banner.
In her most recent bout, Shields was bested by opponent Abigail Montes this past October via split decision. She’s looking to bounce back from her first defeat with a big performance.
Improving her ground game with the likes of a grappling maestro the caliber of Cejudo should certainly help.
What do you think about Claressa Shields working with Henry Cejudo ahead of her MMA return? Let us know in the comments!
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