Whatever Claressa Shields does, she always seems to face a barrage of questions from the world. Despite her two Olympic gold medals, championship victories across five divisions, and undisputed titles, some critics argue that she still has hurdles to overcome before being firmly recognized as one of boxing’s greatest. What frustrates Shields the most is the endless debates that often devolve into unfair comparisons.

Nearly a year after defending her undisputed title against Maricela Cornejo, Claressa Shields made a bold leap to the light heavyweight division and defeated Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in July this year. Earlier, she marked her return to the cage. At the PFL vs. Bellator event in Saudi Arabia, she scored a decisive victory over Kelsey DeSantis. During an interview with boxing legend Andre Ward, curiosity about her foray into MMA came to the forefront.

“I’m the queen of the ring” outlines Claressa Shields

“Why are you going to MMA? Was it money, or do you just want to try something else? Do you just like to fight that much?” asked the Athens Olympics gold medalist. Shields candidly explained that the issue arises whenever a female fighter enters mixed martial arts and wins via boxing techniques.

This inevitably leads to comparisons. “Oh, she got the best hands in boxing and the best fist and the best hands, and I’m like, ‘No.’ Claressa Shields got the best hands in women’s boxing, hands down,” stressed Claressa Shields.

Given her extraordinary achievements, the self-proclaimed ‘GWOAT’ (Greatest Woman of All Time) confidently stated that her current standing is comparable to the top ten male boxers. Her skills are so exceptional that she believes it will be challenging for any other woman to reach her level.

What irks her the most are unwarranted comparisons. Shields was unequivocal when it came to pure boxing: “So when they got to comparing me to Amanda Nunes, talking about who would win in the fight against me, I said, Are y’all stupid? In the boxing match, I would destroy Amanda Nunes.“

However, Shields acknowledged that MMA is a different realm. She admitted that she would need several more years of practice to reach a comparable level of expertise in mixed martial arts.

Claressa Shields and/versus MMA

For context, under the PFL banner, Claressa Shields ventured into MMA three years ago. She won and lost one bout each. Two years later, she re-signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). While her boxing career remains dominant, Shields seems determined to leave her mark in other combat sports as well.

This isn’t the first time Shields has been drawn into discussions involving mixed martial arts fighters. Her exchanges with former UFC champion Cris Cyborg have been a hot topic. After a two-year hiatus, Cyborg returned to boxing earlier this year. In a latest post, she took a jab at Shields when news of her potential heavyweight fight in February surfaced.

Despite the chatter, fans have little doubt about her boxing supremacy. Many regard Claressa Shields as the best female boxer of her era. Whether her boxing brilliance will translate into MMA success remains to be seen.

What about you? Do you think Claressa Shields has what it takes to carve out a name for herself in MMA as well as boxing?