26-year-old boxing sensation Claressa Shields shook the world of combat sports when she decided to compete in mixed martial arts during the prime of her championship boxing career. Boasting two Olympic gold medals and multiple titles throughout three weight divisions, Shields made a brave move in signing a contract with the PFL (Professional Fighters League), therefore putting her boxing tenure on hold.

Shields made a significant impact in the sport of boxing when she became the only fighter in history – regardless of gender - to obtain all four major titles simultaneously (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) in two divisions. With a surprisingly low number of professional bouts on her record (11-11 2 KOs), she also broke the record for becoming a two and three-weight champion in the fewest professional bouts.

Women’s professional boxing is evolving at an unprecedented rate, but I don’t believe Shields transition to MMA was an attempt to turn her back on the sport. In fact, we can speculate that Shields wanted to generate more interest in her future boxing bouts by attracting interest from an ever-growing mixed martial arts community. The likes of Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, and Amanda Nunes have taken women’s MMA to a new level, headlining events whilst matching the intrigue of men’s competition - a level that hasn’t been reached in the world of women’s boxing.

Women’s boxing certainly has the talent, with Katie Taylor (20-0, 6 KOs), Amanda Serrano (41-1-1, 30 KOs), and Claressa Shields herself each have assisted in raising considerable interest in the sport. And while Shields move to MMA seems to have been short-lived (1-1, 1 KO), her notoriety has become synonymous inside both the sports she’s competed in.

We’re unsure if or when Shields will step into the cage again. Still, despite a lacklustre beginning, the undisputed boxing middleweight champion returns to the ring in 2022 with more eyes on her than ever before.

Claressa Shields vs. Ema Kozin

February 5, 2022, at the Motorpoint Arena –
Cardiff, Wales

On the line: WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring Women’s Middleweight Titles 

Shields returns to the ring and makes her UK debut versus the mandatory challenger in Ema Kozin. Signing a multi-fight contract with European broadcasting company Sky Sports, the stage is being set for Shields. Many overlook her upcoming Slovenian opponent in anticipation of a potential grudge match between Savannah Marshall. This isn’t a huge surprise, boxing experts already anticipate a lopsided victory in favor of Shields when she faces Kozin, and the bookmakers betting odds are in agreement.

Those expecting to make a pretty penny from Shields should think again, sportsbooks have correctly priced the champion as the significant favorite. With that said, making use of a FanDuel Promo Code  could assist bettors with a more lucrative return in profits.

Claressa Shields vs. Savannah Marshall 

A win over Kozin almost guarantees a contest between Shields and Marshall. The storyline behind a Shields vs. Marshall bout will create one of the most hyped women’s fights in boxing history. Shields lost to Marshall during her amateur career, and it is the lone loss of her boxing career. Notably, Shields has claimed to risen levels above Marshall since their respective pro debuts, recently claiming to have embarrassed her foe during a sparring session in 2016; “The sparring session was simple.” Shields commented during an interview.

 “I had my hands down the entire time. She could not land a punch on me. We were supposed to do two rounds, then switch. But I told the coach: ‘No, let her stay here and take this whooping for four rounds. I don’t want to switch’.

I pulverized her for four rounds.” 

This outcome would explain why Shields and her team have attempted to make the fight for years, to no prevail.

“We’ve been pushing [for the Marshall fight],” Shields told SecondsOut during an interview.  "We were in talks with Eddie Hearn", then all of a sudden we got close to a deal with Hearn, and she [Marshall] up and jumped to Sky Sports. We’re the ones chasing her. She’s not chasing us.

“We were talking to Hearn about getting a two-fight deal, and right when we were close to getting it done, she disappeared, and now she’s with Sky Sports. Boxxer and Sky Sports reached out, and we didn’t turn down that conversation.” 

2022 could deliver two huge victories on Shields record, with the potential of a super fight between Katie Taylor in the near future. 

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