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Olympic gold medalist and world champion boxer Claressa Shields is the latest addition to the PFL roster.
The PFL has signed Shields on a multi-fight contract that will see the decorated boxer compete in non-tournament MMA bouts at lightweight, a person with knowledge of the signing at MMA Fighting said after an initial report from MMA Junkie. Shields will debut during the 2021 season of the promotion.
Shields, the current WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO middleweight champion (160 pounds) and two-time Olympic gold medalist boxer, has repeatedly flirted with a transition to MMA. Eleven months ago, she attended UFC 245 in hopes of negotiating a deal to fight two-division champion Amanda Nunes in the Octagon; Nunes vowed to “fight the shit” from Shields, but no deal came through.
Shields’ contract with the PFL reflects the promotion’s approach to fellow Olympic gold medalist, judoka Kayla Harrison, who moved to MMA and fought several non-tournament fights at 155 pounds before the promotion created a light division. Harrison easily won a subsequent million dollar tournament.
In February, Shields made her interest in a career in MMA clear, posting a training video in which she showed off her leg kicks. She spoke of training with former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones to prepare for a fight with Nunes. In 2017, she worked with ex-UFC and current Bellator champion Cris Cyborg, who also volunteered to prepare her for the cage.
Shields’ transition to MMA comes amid a stall in his boxing career. She recently appeared in the Square Circle in January, when she won the vacant WBC and WBO light heavyweight titles with a unanimous decision over Ivana Habazin who extended her undefeated professional winning streak to 10.
The PFL is expected to return in April 2021 after delaying its third season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The promotion offered monthly stipends to inactive combatants, although many had traveled to fight elsewhere; Harrison recently made his featherweight debut at Invicta FC.
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