Claressa Shields Set for Professional Fighters League Debut on June 10
.@Claressashields is the No. 1 women’s boxer in the world and about to make her MMA debut, but the 2-time Olympic gold medalist says sexism is still a major issue within sport: "It's mind-boggling to me ... I want us to have equal pay, equal opportunity.” @michaelstrahan pic.twitter.com/cZOWoA2Ogu
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 13, 2021
Boxing champion Claressa Shields will make her first MMA foray at a Professional Fighters League event on June 10.
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Shields is a two-time Olympic gold medalist boxer and the reigning WBC and WBO light middleweight champion. She improved her professional mark to 11-0 with a unanimious decision victory over Marie Eve Dicaire on March 5, claiming the vacant IBF and WBA titles in the process. Shields vs. Dicaire was an all-female pay-per-view, the first of its kind in boxing since June 8, 2001.
Shields signed with the PFL last year, with designs on competing in MMA while continuing her boxing career. During the 2021 campaign, Shields will take one-off fights rather than participate in the organization’s season format. She previously enjoyed a training relationship with Bellator featherweight queen Cristiane Justino but more recently has been working at with the likes of Holly Holm and Jon Jones at Jackson-Wink MMA.
PFL begins its 2021 season on April 23. The June 10 lineup will feature lightweight and featherweight athletes in addition to Shields’ bout.
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