Claressa Shields to make MMA debut with PFL on June 10
“I am very excited to cement my legacy as the ‘Greatest Woman of All Time,’” Shields said. “I cannot wait to step into the PFL cage for the first time on June 10 and show the world that I never back down from a challenge. I have shown I am the best boxer in the world, and eventually, I intend to do the same thing as a mixed martial artist.” After winning Olympic gold in London and Rio de Janeiro, Shields is 11-0 pro boxer. She unified the four major light middleweight titles last March with a unanimous decision over Marie-Eve Dicaire.
She doesn’t intend to give up her boxing career while pursuing MMA glory. Elkin is 3-6 in an MMA career, including bouts in Bellator and the PFL. She was arm-barred by two-time Olympic judo gold medalist champion Kayla Harrison in the first round of Harrison’s MMA debut in 2018. “I know she is a great boxer, but this is MMA,” Elkin said. “I plan to show everyone that I am a well-rounded fighter who can compete wherever the fight takes me.” TShields‘ debut fight is not part of the promotion’s season-long competition format, which she won’t enter until 2022. he PFL‘s 2021 season begins April 23, with the first of six consecutive events at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City.
Many fighters have tried to move between boxing and MMA with varying degrees of success, lured by the prospects of increased fame and fortune as rewards for this difficult feat of athletic versatility. Holm was a champion boxer when she made her MMA debut at 29, and she knocked out Ronda Rousey less than five years later to become the UFC’s bantamweight champ. James Toney and Ricardo Mayorga are among many boxers who made a move much less successfully than Holm. More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/Sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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