Superstar athlete Claressa Shields may be undefeated in the boxing ring, but 'T-Rex' has had mixed experiences in the world of MMA; with two wins and one loss in the PFL.
Amid speculation that the iconic American could face MMA Hall of Famer Cris Cyborg sometime in 2025, Shields has now explained why she would not fight in Mixed Martial Arts against the 28-2 veteran.
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Claressa Shields launches a diatribe against the 'force pursuing Cris Cyborg'
While world featherweight champion Cris Cyborg has declared she wants 'a piece' of boxing legend Claressa Shields, the American boxer believes her appeal is not really based on merit.
“She wants the power,” Shields said during a recent appearance on the Pound-4-Pound Podcast, claiming that “nobody pays attention to Cris Cyborg anymore, she's old and I'm new, I'm banging.” [off] right now and she's a hater.
The pair sparred together in 2017 – several years before Shields switched from boxing to MMA – and according to Shields' recollection, things did not go well for the Brazilian.
“When we sparred I kicked her gently, she's lucky I didn't knock her out because the way she looked at me was like a deer in the headlights.
“Her little boyfriend, when I punched her after four rounds, walked up to me and said, 'Oh my god, it feels so good to see Cris being humiliated, she's beating up guys in the gym, all the women , it just felt so good to see her being humiliated.'”
According to Shields, Cyborg is all bark and no bite, stating that while many words have been exchanged between the two, she is the only one actually willing to sign a contract.
'She's talkin' about wanting to fight me, well b**** come do it, come fight me – I don't understand what we're waiting for… You said you'd knock me out if we eight oz gloves weighing 154 pounds I don't care if we wore four oz gloves, I'm going to sleep. Cris Cyborg is a** because she can't fight.
“I'm bigger than you, I'm stronger than you, I'm better than you… I keep telling her, bring her a** and come on… Make it quick… I'm fighting on February 2 in Flint, Michigan, up at 175 pounds for the undisputed championship and guess what, she can punch her the next day on February 3. It's simple.”
Claressa Shields distances herself from MMA fight against Cris Cyborg
While Shields would jump at the chance to fight Cris Cyborg in the boxing ring, she is also distancing herself from any such match taking place at the PFL SmartCage.
“I'm not going to fight Cris Cyborg in MMA, why? Because she has too much experience, and I don't have time to learn. If I was better on the ground [maybe] but I don't have time to do that kind of thing.
“Boxing is the fairer sport; how is it fairer? Because you have your left hand, and you have your right hand; in MMA she has her elbows, her knees, her kicks, the ground game – all her experience in MMA versus me, who has only been doing MMA for a year and a half, two years.
Shields' argument is that between the two possibilities, fans would be in for a much more competitive battle if they collided in the squared circle, and it's hard to disagree with that.
“I wouldn't do it [in MMA] but if she says she can scream some, she better be prepared to scream some with the [boxing] gloves on – but she needs all that extra sex, she needs the ground game, she needs the elbows and all that sex.
“All she would do is knock me to the ground and kick me, but in boxing it's a fairer fight… She says she can box and beat world champions, this and that, she already said she can knock me out, so she should stand by her word and do it.'
Claressa Shields returns to action on February 2 to fight for the WBC women's world heavyweight title against Danielle Perkins – that event will be broadcast on DAZN.
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