Claressa Shields reveals why talking with Dana White led to her turning down UFC
Claressa Shields is considered the best female boxer of her generation, but she is turning to MMA in 2021.
Throughout 2019, Shields hinted at a move to MMA and made it clear she wanted to fight Amanda Nunes. However, when she officially signed with an MMA promotion it was with the PFL and not the UFC. According to Shields, the reason why she picked PFL was due to her talking to Dana White.
“It was just the conversation. It wasn’t like ‘hey come and train a few months and then fight against the best girl we have at your weight,’” Shields explained when speaking to MMA Fighting. “I feel like that’s unfair to me. It’s not giving me enough time to learn. If you’re talking about letting me train for two years and then fight against the best girl you have, all right cool.
“The conversation with Dana [White] was almost like a one-fight deal kind of a little bit. With the PFL it was more like ‘let’s train, let’s start you off at this level and as you work your way up, the competition will get harder’ and then I would have a chance to fight in the PFL season in 2022. Also, too, I would be able to box also, too. So my boxing career isn’t just over because I’m doing MMA. I actually have a boxing match in February. It just hasn’t been announced yet. I still get to box and I’m not being rushed.”
As Claressa Shields mentions, she is still allowed to continue her boxing career under the PFL contract, which is a big bonus to her.
When will Claressa Shields make her MMA debut?
At this time, there is no date for when Shields will make her MMA debut. Although she isn't part of the PFL tournament, she will have non-tournament bouts on certain cards. The earliest she would fight is sometime in the spring when PFL kicks off their 2021 season.
Shields is also training at JacksonWink MMA and training with the likes of Jon Jones, Holly Holm, and Michelle Waterson.
Although she won't fight in MMA until early to mid-2021, she does have a boxing match in February that hasn't been announced. In the fight, she will look to go 11-0 as a pro. With her last win, she became the fastest ever to win titles in three divisions, male or female, in history.