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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 21: Gold medalist Claressa Maria Shields of the United States poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women’s Boxing Middle (69-75kg) 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: Gold medalist Claressa Maria Shields of the United States poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women’s Boxing Middle (69-75kg) 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)
Claressa Shields shocked the world when she announced that she would enter professional fighting. The self-proclaimed ‘GWOAT’ signed a deal with PFL, which will see her compete in the cage for the very first time.
Claressa is a two-time gold medallist at the Olympics, having won at the 2012 and the 2016 Olympic games. Shields is one of if not the most dominant female boxers in the world right now and has an unblemished 10-0 record.
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Her last fight in the boxing ring was a unanimous decision win over Ivana Habazin in January this year. Shields’ venture into MMA now opens up the possibilities of super fights with the likes of Amanda Nunes, Cris Cyborg, and fellow two-time Olympic gold medallist Kayla Harisson.
Read: Claressa Shields says she will participate in both MMA and boxing events
Claressa Shields joins one of the best MMA gyms in preparation for her MMA debut
While speaking about her move to MMA Shields said, “I wanted to test myself. I want to see if I can be a world champion in boxing and a world champion in MMA. That’s something I want to test myself on. I’m not saying boxing is easy, but I’ve been on top of the world for almost 14 years now.
Looks like @Claressashields will spend some time in Albuquerque 👀
(via @JacksonWinkMMA) pic.twitter.com/MG6fjspQzT
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 4, 2020
She continued, “I was telling MMA fans, I’m not just a talker. I know that’s what they are used to, all these clout chasers out there. I’m like, the real deal. Anything I say I can do, I put my best foot forward and I do it. I haven’t lost a fight since I was 17 years old, and I’m 25. I had 77 wins as an amatuer, one loss. I’m 10-0 as a pro.”
Shields has definitely taken the right step in her pursuit to become an MMA champion by joining Jackson Wink MMA. The camp in Albuquerque is home to the likes of former champions Jon Jones and Holly Holm and is headed by two of the best minds in MMA, Greg Jackson, and Mike Winkeljohn.
Some more footage of @Claressashields training at @JacksonWinkMMA today pic.twitter.com/DW1BUd3z6M
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 5, 2020
Shields is expected to fight in the PFL early next year. However, she will take it one fight at a time and will not be a part of the season format.
What do you make of Claressa’s move to MMA? Will she flourish at Jacksonwink MMA and in the PFL in 2021?