"You'll see me back"- Claressa Shields eyes MMA redemption, targets PFL fight in early 2024
Claressa Shields has not given up on her dream to become the first simultaneous boxing and MMA world champion in history.
Shields is undefeated as a boxer and hoped to replicate the success in the sport of MMA as well. However, she lost to Abigail Montes in the second MMA fight of her career at PFL 10 in October 2021. The 28-year-old has not competed in MMA since the loss.
Shields’ absence from MMA led to speculations about her future in the sport. However, she recently clarified that she has not given up on her goals as an MMA fighter. During an interview with MMA Junkie, the boxing world champion said that she is a few months away from her comeback to MMA:
“It’s looking like February or maybe April. I’ve been training MMA with Murcielago Team in Lansing [Michigan] for the past few months, and I’ll continue training with them. I’ve been learning a lot. I’m getting stronger in those fields that I’m not strong. I can’t say I’m strong on the ground, but I will be. I’m stronger than I was, so I’m just going to keep building from there. I’ve just been grinding and working hard, so I believe February or April you’ll see me back in the PFL SmartCage.”
Watch Claressa Shields' interview below:
Although Shields is training at the Murcielago Team to prepare for her comeback, she trained at the Jackson-Wink MMA Academy when she first transitioned to MMA. The legendary gym has produced world-class MMA fighters like Jon Jones, Carlos Condit, Frank Mir, and Diego Sanchez, among others. Former Boxing and MMA champion Holly Holm is also a product of Jackson-Wink MMA Academy.
Claressa Shields reveals the motivation behind her pursuit of the MMA championship
Claressa Shields is a two-time Olympic gold medalist boxer. She has become one of the most accomplished female boxers, winning titles in multiple weight classes. However, the desire to become a well-rounded combat sports athlete motivates her to pursue a world championship in MMA. She told MMA Junkie:
“I love fighting. I don’t like the fact that I have to say, ‘There’s other girls in MMA that can beat me.’ That kind of angers me a little bit, like, ‘Ugh, she can beat me in a fight because she knows more of the things that I don’t know. But she can’t beat me in a boxing match.’ But I want to be the best fighter in the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s MMA or if it’s kickboxing or it’s boxing. I want to be the best.”
Shields signed a multi-year agreement to compete in PFL earlier this year. It will be interesting to see how her MMA career plays out.