The talk about a potential Claressa Shields vs. [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] fight continues to gain traction.
Shields’ promoter, Dmitriy Salita, told TMZ he thinks a fight between his world champion boxing client and two-division UFC champ Nunes could happen next year.
“I think sometime in the next six to 12 months,” Salita said. “I think both ladies need to embrace it and talk about it, and there needs to be a real plan to make it happen, and to make it the biggest possible event it could be.
“Claressa wants to be a two-sport star. We’ve just been really building her strategically – her fanbase, her brand – and Claressa is really carrying the women’s sport of boxing on her shoulders.”
[lawrence-related id=457167,427224,424973]
Many fighters have expressed interest in crossover fights ever since the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing match happened. Salita thinks a potential Shields vs. Nunes fight, would be big for women’s sports and would open doors down the line.
“It’s definitely something we’re very interested in,” Salita said. “I was actually at the Mayweather-McGregor fight and followed the build-up, and it was really a phenomenal event. And wouldn’t it be tremendous for women’s sport, for women’s boxing, for women’s MMA, to have two superstars from each one of these categories, from each one of these combat sports, compete in this super event?”
Shields is expected to have her rescheduled fight with Ivana Habazin announced shortly. Nunes is set to defend her women’s bantamweight title on Dec. 14 when she takes on former featherweight champ Germaine de Randamie at UFC 245.
Salita said ever since Shields signed with him more than two years ago, her paychecks have been increasing. Should a fight with Nunes materialize, he expects her to be making at least $1 million dollars.
“Claressa has been making good money from her first fight with me, and progressively as she’s climbing up the ranks,” Salita said. “I think a fight like this, at least for this side, for Claressa, would have to be a seven-figure payday and I think that there’ll be a lot of power and a great statement to say that these women are making so much money.”
[opinary poll=”do-you-want-to-see-amanda-nunes-vs-clare” customer=”mmajunkie”]
[vertical-gallery id=394066]
