Claressa Shields On MMA Return 2/24: People Thought I Would Run Back To Boxing [After Loss]

Claressa Shields is certain she shocked loads of individuals by returning to the cage for an additional blended martial arts match February 24.

The three-division boxing champion all the time stated she’d compete in MMA once more after her three-round, split-decision defeat to unheralded Abigail Montes in October 2021. It took two-plus years, but Shields is raring to reveal the enhancements she made in a sport she took up late when she encounters Kelsey DeSantis as a part of the “PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions” pay-per-view occasion subsequent month at Kingdom Area in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Shields (1-1 in MMA), who will signify PFL, and DeSantis (1-2), a Bellator fighter, will meet in a three-round light-weight bout that will likely be televised by ESPNews and streamed by ESPN+ earlier than the pay-per-view portion of PFL-Bellator present begins.

“I needed to struggle Amanda Nunes in a boxing match,” Shields acknowledged throughout a press convention Wednesday in Hollywood, Florida. “And once they requested her if she would struggle me she stated, ‘Inform Claressa Shields to come back to my world and I’ll choke the sh*t out of her.’ After I heard her say that it actually lit a hearth in me. You understand what? None of those women are going to come back over from MMA and struggle me as a result of they know I’d win, arms down.

“However it will be a brilliant problem for me to go over to MMA, so I simply needed to problem myself and present that I’m not simply unhealthy ass in boxing – I’m a nasty ass fighter, interval. So why not come over to MMA and simply show myself? In order that’s why I’m right here, regardless that lots of people thought I’d simply run again to boxing. However hey, right here I’m. I’m simply right here to get higher and I consider in a yr or two I will likely be combating for a world title.”

The 28-year-old Shields beat Brittney Elkin by third-round technical knockout to win her MMA debut in June 2021 at Ocean Resort On line casino in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey. Elkin entered her struggle versus Shields with a 3-6 report, whereas Mexico’s Montes was 2-0 when she confronted Shields at Seminole Onerous Rock Lodge & On line casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Montes’ victory marked Shields’ first loss in both sport since Savannah Marshall defeated her on factors, 14-8, in a world newbie boxing event that came about in Could 2012.

Shields, of Flint, Michigan, later avenged her newbie loss to Marshall by beating her rival by unanimous resolution of their middleweight title struggle in October 2022 at O2 Area in London. The 2-time Olympic gold medalist stays unbeaten as an expert boxer (14-0, 2 KOs), however Shields doesn’t have many interesting choices in boxing aside from a rematch towards England’s Marshall (13-1, 10 KOs).

Shields nonetheless may return to boxing over the summer time. Quickly, although, she is absolutely targeted on bouncing again from her MMA loss almost 27 months in the past.

“There’s lots of nice expertise within the PFL,” Shields stated. “I simply need to do my due diligence and practice and simply win my fights and hopefully I’ll be as nice as these guys up right here and be capable of struggle for the PFL Championship and struggle for the million {dollars}. Proper now, it’s one struggle at a time and I need to get again on a successful streak, as I misplaced my final struggle by cut up resolution.

“I simply need to preserve shifting ahead. With the ability to be a girl and combating within the first professional MMA bout in Saudi Arabia is an enormous deal for me and my profession. I simply need to come again and present that boxers can do MMA and that I’ve the potential to be a PFL world champion sooner or later.”

Keith Idec is a senior author/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He might be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.