Claressa Shields has established herself as one of the best female fighters on the planet. Her prowess in the boxing world is undeniable. She currently holds two gold medals in the Olympics, as well as simultaneous world titles in WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO, the only boxer in history to do so. Shields is certainly one of the best female boxers in history and now at just 26 years old, she is looking to test her skills further.

Future Aspirations

Shields has recently decided to challenge herself by entering the world of mixed martial arts. On one hand, she wants to silence the doubters that say she would never be able to cross over, on the other hand, she has publicly stated that she is interested in larger paydays. Of course, this road will not be easy despite her decorated career. This is because MMA is a sport that incorporates all known martial arts together and allows combatants to use a wide range of different striking and grappling techniques.

Shields’ boxing is top notch, but she will still have to train heavily to learn the fundamentals of kicking and grappling. Being only 26 years old and naturally athletic, she can certainly achieve greatness in this sport as well. She is already on her way and has stated that she wants to become a champion.

Her Training Camp and Partners

To beat the best, you have to train harder than the best. Shields understands the importance of having skilled coaches and gym partners and in preparation of her MMA debut, she went to the Albuquerque, New Mexico based gym Jackson Wink MMA. This organization is something of a legend in the MMA world as it is directly responsible for massively successful fighters like former UFC champions Jon Jones and Holly Holms, as well as Joel Romero and others.

Following a two-week trial period, Shields decided to make Jackson Wink her home for her MMA training. Greg Jackson, one of the main trainers there, repeatedly raved about her natural ability and called her a “quick learner.” Shields has worked closely with former 135lbs UFC champion Holly Holms to study her technique and learn what it takes to hunt for UFC gold. When Shields was asked why she decided on Jackson Wink, she responded “they know how to make champions here.”

Shields’ First MMA Fight

Despite criticism that she was rushing into her first fight, Shields had her successful MMA debut two weeks ago after just six months of training. Shields received multiple offers, but ultimately signed with Professional Fighters League on a multi-fight contract that will carry her through 2022. On June 10th, Shields faced her first MMA opponent in the 3-6 grappler Brittney Elkin at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

For most of the fight it seemed like Elkin was in control, continuously pressuring Shields and keeping her back against the cage. Shields clearly looked inexperienced when it came to defending takedowns, but her boxing was crisp and powerful with the much lighter four ounce gloves. In the third round, Shields took control and mounted her opponent, raining punches on the ground until the ref stopped the fight at the 1:44 mark.

In this fight, Shields showed she has the tenacity and ambition that is needed to excel in this sport. She even drew praise from PFL owner Ray Sefo who stated he was very impressed, though he feels Shields has a lot to learn. Shields is ready to face better competition and make her name in this arena like she has in boxing.

Upcoming MMA and Boxing Events

Claressa’s next fight is sure to attract a massive audience, as well as the attention of sportsbooks around the globe who offer promotions like free bets. Her fights will certainly be great for new bettors as they will presumably have some interesting prop bets, parlays, and free betting involved, and you can get started with a welcome offer from one of the world’s leading sportsbooks. It’s likely that pay-per-view sales will also be enormous as this is one of the most exciting female fighters we’ve had in MMA in many years.

Surprisingly, Shields has stated that she hopes to compete simultaneously in boxing and MMA. While this is admirable, it will certainly have its own dangers and challenges as she risks becoming rusty and out of practice in both sports as she focuses on one or the other. Her next opponents in either sport have not been named, but rest assured she will be in the gym working hard regardless. Presumably, she will look to sign with the UFC and face the best female MMA talent once her contract with the PFL is finished. We have already seen her go  back and forth with UFC champion Amanda Nunez on social media in recent weeks.