Claressa Shields’ manager said a few weeks ago that the three-division titleholder could make her Mixed Martial Arts debut sometime in the near future. Well, she evidently is preparing for that eventuality in earnest.
Shields posted a video on Twitter showing her training in kicking for the first time, evidence that she is dead serious about giving MMA a try.
She said on the post: “Lol first time ever throwing a kick in my life! But as promised! Save the criticism, you guys couldn’t throw a jab like me on the first day To be continued though, I enjoyed practice.”
Mark Taffet, her manager, told ESPN that he and his client believe she can continue to box and pursue a second career in MMA simultaneously. Taffet said he has talked to representatives of several MMA outlets about the crossover.
Lol first time ever throwing a kick in my life! But as promised! Save the criticism, you guys couldn’t throw a jab like me on the first day 🥊❤️ To be continued though, I enjoyed practice pic.twitter.com/6ARbaHdpVd
— ClaressaT-rexShields (@Claressashields) February 7, 2020
“There hasn’t been a conversation about moving full time,” Taffet said. “It’s all been a discussion about being the next great two-sport athlete.”
Shields, 24, has trained with MMA stars Cris Cyborg and Kayla Harrison and, according to ESPN, had plans to work with UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones sometime this month.
“She got her feet wet athletically, her toe in the water athletically,” Taffet said a few weeks ago. “The next step for us would be to look at a few different trainers and coaches and speak to them and then decide who an appropriate coach and trainer would be and then make a plan for her to begin training while she continues to blaze trails in boxing.”
Shields told ESPN last year that she wouldn’t want to enter the octagon unless she trained in MMA for a year.
“Just the stuff that I don’t know, like jiu-jitsu and kicking and all that stuff if I wanted to consider it,” said Shields, who was less serious about the move at the time.
Shields (10-0, 2 KOs) is coming off a one-sided decision victory over Ivana Habazin on Jan. 10. That victory gave her titles in three weight classes in only 10 fights, which is a record regardless of gender.
Claressa Shields’ manager: She could have first MMA fight this year