The Women’s P4P #1 Boxer – @Claressashields
is now a PFL athlete! pic.twitter.com/NMqA3MQdCF— PFL MMA (@ProFightLeague)
December 1, 2020
Claressa Shields has designs on being a two-combat sport
superstar.
Shields, who has already won multiple world championships and two
gold medals as a boxer, recently signed a contract to make her
professional MMA debut with Professional Fighters League in 2021.
Shields won’t be part of the PFL season next year — she will
compete in one-off fights — but is targeting 2022 for her shot at a
155-pound championship run in the promotion’s season format.
As Shields begins her MMA journey, she will continue her career in
the Sweet Science, PFL CEO Peter Murray and her management revealed
in a release on Tuesday.
“I want to thank Professional Fighters League and Peter Murray for
believing in me and giving me this amazing opportunity. What drew
me to the PFL is that it is definitely a fighter-first
organization, and I can’t wait to be a part of that. Since turning
pro it has been my goal to be the GWOAT and to be a two-sport star
like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders,” Shields said.
“I want to go where no man or woman has gone and hold championships
in both boxing and MMA at the same time. The one-two punch of PFL
in MMA and Salita Promotions in boxing will allow me to continue to
show that there are no limits to what a woman can do. I can’t wait
to get to work.”
The 25-year-old Shields told
ESPN that she has attended “a few” jiu-jitsu classes and
trained with U.S. Olympic wrestler Adeline Gray in preparation for
her transition to the cage.
“I can say, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” Shields
said. “I thought I would absolutely hate it. I thought as soon as
she grabbed my leg I would get frustrated and would try to bite her
or something, but that hasn’t happened.”
Shields could eventually be paired with PFL’s biggest star,
two-time Olympic judo gold medalist and 2019 lightweight champion
Kayla
Harrison. Shields is friends with Harrison but told ESPN she
wouldn’t be against squaring off against the undefeated judoka in
the future.
“I was telling MMA fans, I’m not just a talker,” Shields said. “I
know that’s what they are used to, all these clout chasers out
there. I’m like, the real deal. Anything I say I can do, I put my
best foot forward and I do it. I haven’t lost a fight since I was
17 years old, and I’m 25. I had 77 wins as an amateur, one loss.
I’m 10-0 as a pro.
“I’m not coming to MMA to lose. The next time they see me in the
cage, I’m gonna have muscles coming out my damn neck training so
hard to win.”