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ALBUQUERQUE, NM – DECEMBER 3: IBA World Champion Holly Holm (r) battles with #1 Ranked Challenger Ann Marie Saccurato for the IBA Jr. Welterweight World Title at Route 66 Casino’s Legends Theater on December 3, 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.The event was presented by Fresquez Productions, Inc. in Albuquerque. (Photo by Steve Snowden/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ann Marie Saccurato;Holly Holm
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ALBUQUERQUE, NM – DECEMBER 3: IBA World Champion Holly Holm (r) battles with #1 Ranked Challenger Ann Marie Saccurato for the IBA Jr. Welterweight World Title at Route 66 Casino’s Legends Theater on December 3, 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.The event was presented by Fresquez Productions, Inc. in Albuquerque. (Photo by Steve Snowden/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ann Marie Saccurato;Holly Holm
Claressa Shields is a trailblazer in women’s sports. She made headlines recently by announcing a career-transition to MMA due to income inequality within the world of boxing. However, she later clarified that she would also continue her boxing career while beginning an MMA career with the PFL.
Her attention is on boxing for now, as she has a big fight with Marie-Eve Dicaire coming up in early March. Considering it is the main event of an all women’s PPV, the theme of representation will be strong. That has been reinforced with the announcement that Shields’s training partner, and former UFC bantamweight champion, Holly Holm, will be on the broadcast team for the fight.
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Shields is headlining an all-women’s PPV against undefeated Canadian boxer Marie-Eve Dicaire. Dicaire will be defending the IBF middleweight championship, while Shields will put the WBO, Ring, and WBC titles on the line, with the WBA’s vacant title, also being on the line.
If she wins, she will have to stay active in the boxing ring for a considerable time and fight her mandatories.
Claressa Shields: Can she balance both boxing and MMA?
While Claressa Shields is having this statement fight in boxing, a lot of fans are excited to see her in MMA. She has been training with Holm, Jon Jones, and others at the Jackson-Winkeljohn Academy. Her boxing was never in question, but her ability in MMA will be.
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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)
While she is an ace boxer, combat fans have never seen anybody balance both boxing and MMA simultaneously. She is facing the cream of the competition in boxing and is aiming for world title glory in MMA. To have this sort of run in two sports will be hard. But if anyone can pull off such a switch, it would be ‘T-Rex’.
The former Olympic champion is expected to make her MMA debut around the summer. Shields is a big favorite to win on the 5th of March and continue building on a very strong legacy for herself in both sports.
Will the presence of ‘The Preacher’s Daughter motivate the ‘G.W.O.A.T.’ on March 5?
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE- Claressa Shields Opens Up On Balancing Two Careers While At PFL
