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Jon Jones, Amanda Nunes, Teofimo Lopez, and Others React to Claressa Shields’ Successful MMA Debut

Published 06/11/2021, 3:30 AM EDT

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Claressa Shields ‘The GWOAT’ staged a prominent MMA debut by beating Britney Elkin via TKO in round three of their PFL bout. However, it wasn’t an easy night for the boxing legend, as she got dominated in the first two rounds.

That said, Shields turned the tables in round three and remained undefeated in her combat career. It earned her appraisals from all over the world, especially from the boxing community. Mostly, MMA fighters make the crossover to the boxing ring, but Shields is one of the very rare athletes to have transitioned from boxing to MMA.

Starting from MMA elites to world champion boxers, everyone had their eyes on ‘The GWOAT’. Following her win, social media exploded with reactions. Here’s a look at them.

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Claressa Shields vs Britney Elkin- A deeper look

PFL 2021 returned with a bang as Shields became a part of it. However, she didn’t make a good start as Elkin took her to the ground and mauled her. Shields couldn’t offer much in response and suffered a lopsided beat down.

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It didn’t seem to be her night, and many had already predicted the striker to lose. However, Claressa Shields used her chances in the later rounds.

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She learned quickly, made the adjustments, and maintained the distance with her opponent brilliantly. Although Elkin was constantly putting pressure, Claressa Shields escaped that. ‘T-Rex’ waited patiently and seized an opportunity in round three. Following a takedown, Shields landed her punches over Elkin, overwhelming her.

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As Elkin offered no offense and couldn’t sufficiently defend herself, the fight had to be called off. Hence, Claressa Shields notched a big win under her fighting resume. While she would want to continue to box in the future, ‘T-Rex’ can look forward to having even bigger fights in her PFL career.

How would you rate Claressa Shields’s MMA debut on a scale of 1-10? Do you want to see her return to the cage?

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5 Insane Facts About Claressa Shields You Need to Know

 

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Written by:

Raj Sarkar

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A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.
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