Claressa Shields: “MMA fans need to bow down and kiss my feet”

The No. 1 pound-for-pound female boxer in the world, Claressa Shields, says that “MMA fans need to bow down and kiss her feet” ahead of her pro debut.

Shields, a former Olympic gold medalist in boxing, has been teasing a debut in mixed martial arts for a few years now. Many thought that she would sign with the UFC outright due to her name recognition in boxing, but Shields surprised the MMA world when she decided to sign with PFL, instead. The Flint, Michigan native will make her mixed martial arts debut sometime in 2021 in a non-tournament bout in PFL, and it’s a big deal.

Although some MMA fans may not be familiar with Shields just yet, they will be soon. She is arguably one of the best female boxers of all time and training with Jon Jones, Holly Holm, and other elite fighters at Team Jackson – Wink, she has all the support in the world to improve in MMA. Speaking to Bleacher Report before her MMA debut, Shields said MMA fans who don’t know her will soon, and they will “bow down and kiss my feet.”

“MMA fans need to bow down and kiss my feet and throw rose petals because I’m actually making the transition. I’m not just saying it. I’m actually doing it. So give me my props. Never say that Claressa Shields is scared of nobody,” Shields said.

Just like with Kayla Harrison, you can expect PFL to slowly build up Shields by giving her inexperienced opponents to start off. Ideally, Shields would make her MMA debut against someone with decent, but not great wrestling, and below-average striking, which would put the former boxing middleweight champion in the best position to shine in her MMA debut. Although Shields is still a huge question mark in the field of MMA, this is an elite combat sports athlete and she could soon be a force to be reckoned with.

How do you think Claressa Shields will fare in the world of MMA?