Women’s boxing champion Claressa Shields will continue her mixed martial arts run after all.
After going 1-1 for the PFL in 2021, Shields returned to the sweet science the following year, and has gone 3-0 in the ring since, improving her overall record in boxing to 14-0. She has not been seen in the cage post-2021, while defending her WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, WBF, and The Ring female middleweight titles.
However, in a press release distributed on Wednesday, Professional Fighters League officials announced that Shields had signed a multi-year agreement to continue her MMA career.
“It is a privilege to announce the PFL has re-signed the most dominant women’s boxer in the world, Claressa Shields, to a new multi-year agreement,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the Professional Fighters League, in Wednesday’s announcement. “Claressa and the PFL share a fighter first, merit-based value system and take on the world attitude. We are proud to welcome “The GWOAT” back to the PFL and the sport of MMA.”
“I am excited to return to a fighter-first organization, and I can’t wait to return to The PFL SmartCage,” said Claressa Shields. “My goal remains unchanged; I will be the first athlete to hold championships in both boxing and MMA simultaneously. I have grown so much since my first MMA fight and cannot wait to put my skills on display.”
Shields is expected to return to the cage in 2024. She won her MMA debut two years ago by scoring a third-round TKO against Brittney Elkin, but dropped a split decision to Abigail Montes after that.
The PFL has signed a couple of other names from the boxing world in the past year: Youtuber/celebrity boxer Jake Paul, and women’s boxing great Amanda Serrano, who is undefeated in her own MMA career.
