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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 21: Claressa Maria Shields of the United States celebrates victory over Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands in the Women’s Middle (69-75kg) Final Bout on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Riocentro – Pavilion 6 on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 21: Claressa Maria Shields of the United States celebrates victory over Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands in the Women’s Middle (69-75kg) Final Bout on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Riocentro – Pavilion 6 on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Boxing champion Claressa Shields spoke out in the days leading up to her MMA debut that will go down on June 10. Shields will face Brittney Elkin who comes in with a 3-6 losing record as a professional. However, Elkin has faced a tough gauntlet of opponents as she also welcomes Kayla Harrison to the PFL in June 2018.
The former Olympian in Shields has a clear objective once she officially kick starts her MMA journey- to be the best. She believes she’s made the necessary adjustments to incorporate her world-class boxing with MMA skills. With just a few days out from her fight, it’s impossible to say that Claressa Shields isn’t fired up.
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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 02: Claressa Shields works out during a pre fight media workout at the Downtown Boxing Gym on October 02, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“The PFL fans can expect me to go out there and be just as great as I am at boxing and have that same confidence,” Shields said. “I’m a fighter at heart, I’m not gonna just go in there and bow down to Brittney. I’m a dog, I go in there and scrap. I haven’t lost a fight since I was 17 years old. I’m 26.” [h/t MMA Mania.com]
The aforementioned showcase bout takes place in Atlantic City at the Ocean Casino Resort for three rounds. It’s crucial she begins her MMA career on the right foot and doesn’t suffer any unwanted missteps. There are a lot of lucrative opportunities lying ahead so long as she racks up impressive wins in the cage.
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Claressa Shields: Making her mark
When making the switch from boxing to MMA, it’s important to make sure the adjustments are thorough and definite. Claressa Shields has definitely done that by making her way down to Albuquerque, New Mexico to train at Jackson Wink. The gym is home to arguably one of the best fighters of all time in Jon Jones.
Additionally, there are plenty of elite former champs like Holly Holm and Carlos Condit who bring a lot to the table. Shields is well equipped to deal with any unforeseen adversity that may come her way given the training backing her. If everything plays out as she expects, the MMA world may have a crossover star on its hand.
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