Boxing champion-turned-MMA prospect Claressa Shields says she wants to enter the cage for the second time in the next two to three months.
“T-Rex” made her MMA debut in style at PFL 4 last week. Shields forced a stoppage against Brittney Elkin with some vicious shots just under two minutes into the third-round.
As a boxer, Shields is unbeaten in 11 professional fights and has held multiple world championships across three weight classes.
The 26-year-old appears to be just as brutal in her new sport and, if her debut victory is anything to go by, she may well repeat her boxing success in mixed martial arts.
After a gruelling display of ground and pound against Elkin, the question is: When will we see Claressa Shields in action again?
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Shields answered that very question.
“I have another MMA fight I believe in August, September. And we’re saving the end of the year for boxing.”
Speaking about her debut win, Shields said she was confident her right hand would get the job done after seeing Elkin fade before the final round.
“I really wasn’t too worried. I never felt like, ‘Oh, I’m not gonna win this fight. I just was like, I gotta do extra. And once I stood up in the third round and I seen her sit down from across the cage, I seen how tired she was. And I knew her only game plan was just to get on top of me and lay on me. And I just told myself, look, go in here and hit this girl with your right hand. And you do that, this’ll be over.”
After a dramatic comeback at PFL 4, Shields will be hoping to put in a more dominant performance when she returns to MMA action.
What did you make of Shields’ debut performance?
