PFL Champs V Bellator Champs

Seize The Throne

Biggest MMA Card 2024

8️⃣ Current Champs clash
6️⃣ Former Champs clash

SAT FEB 24 👊 5p US ET
ESPN PPV 👊 DAZN PPV#PFL #Bellator #ChampsVSChamps pic.twitter.com/wjbCtxqmVs

— Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) January 16, 2024

The next chapter for the PFL and Bellator MMA is set to begin on February 24, and they are kicking things off with a monster lineup.  Per a press release, the card will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 24.  The event is scheduled to have a seven fight main card that will be available on ESPN+ pay-per-view with an additional five fight preliminary card.

Last year, it was announced that the Saudi Arabia backed SRJ Sports Investments group had purchased a stake in the PFL and the result would be the promotion’s pay-per-view events being hosted in the country.  The promotion is still expected to hold multiple regular season and playoff events in the United States in 2024.

The event on February 24 is set to be headlined by 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira against longtime Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader.  Ferreira enters the bout on a three fight win-streak and has been one of the stand out performers of the PFL’s heavyweight division for the last several years.  Bader has held the Bellator heavyweight championship since 2019 when he won it by winning the Grand Prix.  Prior to that, he was also the light-heavyweight champion and won that belt shortly after joining the promotion after a long and successful stint in the UFC.

The main card will feature three more fights between current champions with the co-headliner featuring new PFL light-heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay against Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen who will be moving up in weight to 205 pounds.  Now two-time PFL welterweight champion Magomed Magomedkerimov will be taking on Bellator champion Jason Jackson and PFL featherweight champion Jesus Pinedo will take on decorated Bellator featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire in other marquee action.

Several big names will also be in action with former PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappeloza welcoming Bellator light-heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov to the division, UFC vet and now PFL contender Thiago Santos taking on former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero, and last years PFL lightweight finalist Clay Collard taking on former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee.

The preliminary card will be highlighted by featherweight finalist Gabriel Braga taking on Aaron Pico, the professional debut of Biaggio Ali Walsh against Chris Morris, and the MMA return of WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, WBF, and Ring featherweight champion Claressa Shields against Kelsey DiSantis.

Notably absent is Bellator featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino who is scheduled to have a boxing bout next Saturday and would need more time to make the turnaround to be a part of the card against either Larissa Pacheco or Kayla Harrison.  Also, Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix is not scheduled to be part of the card, though notably PFL doesn’t have a bantamweight division and he might part of the Bellator exclusive events in 2024.

Plans for the PFL’s regular season and European series have yet to be announced.

The Full PFL x Bellator card is as follows:

Main Card:

• Renan Ferreira vs Ryan Bader – Heavyweight
• Impa Kasanganay vs Johnny Eblen – Light-Heavyweight
• Magomed Magomedkerimov vs Jason Jackson – Welterweight
• Patricio “Pitbull” Freire vs Jesus Pinedo – Featherweight
• Bruno Cappeloza vs Vadim Nemkov – Heavyweight
• Thiago Santos vs Yoel Romero – Light-Heavyweight
• Clay Collard vs AJ McKee – Lightweight

Preliminary Card:

• Gabriel Braga vs Aaron Pico – Featherweight
• Biaggio Ali Walsh vs Chris Morris – Lightweight
• Claressa Shields vs Kelsey DiSantis – Lightweight
• Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Edukondal Rao – Featherweight
• Malik Basahel vs. Vinicius Pereira – Flyweight (Amateur)

The post PFL x Bellator Card on February 24 to Feature Stacked Lineup appeared first on Cageside Press.

Growing up, the undisputed, multi-time, multi-weight women’s boxing champ and PFL mixed martial artist was the recipient of that same kind of generosity.

“December is one of the biggest times to give throughout the year,” Shields explained in a recent interview with Cageside Press. “For me, why I wanted to do the Christmas giveaway was because, growing up, I grew up and I didn’t have a whole lot, but I really do remember the times when I went to the Church, and I had to pick up my gifts there, from the Church. You never knew what was in the boxes, but it was never nothing that I wanted. So to give the kids a chance to pick the gifts that they actually want, and just to be able to give back, means a lot to me.”

It’s not just Christmas that sees Claressa Shields giving back. Through her Shields Community Outreach Program, she’s helping those in need in the community throughout the year. “I just want to do what I can to help families around Flint, especially during these hard times. People don’t really realize how hard it is during the holidays. I’m talking about Thanksgiving, where all the families get together and have these big old dinners. Some people can’t afford those big dinners. And then also back-to-school giveaways, we do Easter bike giveaways, turkey giveaways, hats and coats. To be able to help them— we can make it easier for them throughout the year.”

While Shields’ name is on the foundation’s letterhead, “I wouldn’t really say that I lead the Claressa Shields annual Christmas giveaway. I would say I partner with other organizations that really want to give back to the community in a large way.”

As she went on to put it, “my name is on the forefront of it because when I mention things, the kids come out, the parents come out, and they know it’s going to be very organized and very neat, when it has my name involved. So that’s why I do it, and it’s just really to help the families. Yeah it’s to make the kids happy, but it’s to help the families. Because I remember all the help that I got growing up, and us going to the free food places and stuff like that. And it just made me feel not left out.”

Shields has come a long way from that point. She now holds more titles in boxing than you can shake a stick at, with a perfect 14-0 record. The 28-year old picked up another win this past summer, scoring another big victory, this time over Maricela Cornejo.

Despite retaining her WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, WBF, and The Ring women’s middleweight titles with the unanimous decision win, it will be the cage Claressa Shields returns to next. She confirmed that, telling Cageside Press that “I will be in the cage between New Years and April. I will be returning back to the cage first, and then I’ll be having boxing matches after.”

No opponent has been revealed, said Shields, but that doesn’t have her concerned. “No, it’s just my job to get ready for my opponent,” she stated. “I don’t ever know who they are til PFL lets me know, and it’s just my job to be prepared. So I’m just in the gym training, learning the ground stuff, learning how to throw some more MMA combinations, mixing up the kicks with the hands. Just knowing how to cage fight, knowing how to ground fight, knowing how to do jiu-jitsu and wrestling. That’s just my job. I don’t worry myself with who the opponent is because a fight is a fight no matter who it’s against.”

Shields also let slip that she’s already been in the gym training for an MMA fight, though things will get even more intense after the holidays. And while the PFL has seemingly moved on from the women’s lightweight division, eschewing it in favor of 145lbs this past year, Shields intends to stay at 155.

“Absolutely. I’m fighting at 55,” she confirmed to Cageside Press.

Watch our full interview with boxing champ/PFL star Claressa Shields above.

The post Claressa Shields on Toy Drive, Confirms Next Fight Will Be for PFL, Early 2024 appeared first on Cageside Press.

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.

The post Claressa Shields to Continue MMA Run with PFL, Signs New Multi-Year Deal appeared first on Cageside Press.

Joe Rogan sees Francis Ngannou’s exit as a “big loss” for UFC

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou signing with the PFL? That’s a “big loss” for the UFC, according to one of its highest-profile, longest serving employees.

Joe Rogan, longtime color commentator (and interviewer prior to that) for the company, said just that on a recent episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.

“It’s a big loss in my mind, like, him going over to the PFL,” Rogan said on a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience (h/t MMA Junkie). “It bums me out. I understand it. I’m happy he’s going to get paid, I’m happy he’s going to get to box, but I loved watching this guy fight in the UFC. He was a f*cking monster. He was so good, and he is so good. It’s going to be interesting. I just don’t know who they’re going to have him fight.”

No opponent — in boxing or MMA — has been announced for Ngannou as of yet.

Claressa Shields not done with MMA yet

One of the PFL’s big signings from years past, Claressa Shields, isn’t done with MMA just yet. The world champion boxer has been focusing on the “sweet science” of late, but told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour this past week that she remains in talks with the league for another fight after starting her run at 1-1.

“I would like to do MMA again,” Shields said on the show (h/t MMA Fighting). “We are in talks with PFL now to try to see what the plan is, but I would like to be given the right amount of time to train and to learn the craft of MMA, to have me a solid team behind me, because I’ve just been winging it. I went to JacksonWink and I trained with them, and they were a great team. I did a lot of jiu-jitsu training, a lot of wrestling. But it just was like, you get a 30-minute session, a 45-minute session — you don’t really get like the full [experience]. Like, I go to the gym and I don’t train less than three hours for boxing, and I’ve been doing boxing for 17 years.

“So I feel like in MMA, I want to have that same kind of routine in order for me to just learn those arts, because I’m far behind the other girls, but my boxing gives me a little lift. But if I can’t be on my feet, then we have to figure out something else,” Shields continued. “So I just want to learn those arts to where it can give me a better chance at winning. I’m not afraid to do MMA. I’ve already done it. I just want to — I like to win. I like to win fights.

Greg Hardy suffers KO loss at TCL boxing event

Former UFC heavyweight Greg Hardy has hit another setback in his post-UFC career. Competing at a Team Combat League boxing event over the weekend, Hardy was knocked out by Alexander Flores, a professional boxer with an 18-3-1 record.

TCL bouts don’t count towards professional records, so Hardy remains 2-0 as a boxer, and is 2-1 in Team Combat League. But the loss follows another rough KO defeat Hardy suffered in BKFC earlier this year.

Greg Hardy just got KO’d again 😳pic.twitter.com/suNlaAlcnQ

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 3, 2023

KSW Colosseum 2 had this crazy knockout from bottom

Striking off your back is not supposed to work, right? We did a full story on this that you can read, but it’s worth a second look. Kudos to former boxer Krzysztof Głowacki for pulling off the move of the weekend.

30 years of watching MMA don’t know if I’ve ever seen this before https://t.co/WzxJTBptha

— Erik Magraken (@erikmagraken) June 3, 2023

You get an Apex show and YOU get an Apex show, and…

The #UFC has applied for five more event permits from Nevada, as follows…

UFC Apex: Sept. 16, Sept. 23, Oct. 7, Nov. 18

T-Mobile Arena: Dec. 16 pic.twitter.com/y96THKBred

— Nolan King (@mma_kings) June 1, 2023

There are no words, so we’ll finish with this:

The post Sunday MMA Quick Hits: Joe Rogan Calls Ngannou Departure “Big Loss” for UFC appeared first on Cageside Press.

Jack Shore Suffers “Serious” Knee Injury

Welsh bantamweight Jack Shore has been forced out of his fight with Kyler Phillips due to a knee injury. The bout was to take place on November 19; the promotion is expected to seek a replacement for Shore.

Shore himself broke the news on his Instagram story this past week.

“Unfortunately I am out of my upcoming fight due to a serious knee injury,” Shore wrote. “Gonna be sidelined for likely the rest of the year as this one is gonna take a bit of time to get right!”

Disclosed UFC 278 Salaries Are Depressing

The new UFC welterweight champion made just $350,000 (discounting any PPV points), multiple fighters made just $10,000, and some big names were grossly underpaid at UFC 278.

It’s 2022. No one in the UFC should be making $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win. No one. No excuses. You might as well go flip burgers at that point.

MMA Fighting acquired the disclosed purses from the August PPV event via a FOIA request.

Some lowlights: Harry Hunsucker, in his third UFC fight, was paid $12,000 to appear on a PPV main card.

Paulo Costa, a former title challenger, made just $65,000 to show, $65,000 to win. He’s a main event level fighter, or in this case, co-main event.

A.J. Fletcher and Daniel Lacerda made just $10,000 each. When you deduct manager’s fees, gym costs, taxes, and miscellaneous expenses, they’re left with a bag of chips and a can of coke under today’s inflation. Victor Altamirano, who won on the Contender Series, also was on a 10/10 deal, but he at least won his fight.

Here’s a wild concept: no one in the UFC should be making less than $20,000 per fight. This event made over $4.2 million dollars at the gate alone, more than double athlete salaries. On top of that, the UFC rakes in PPV dollars and sponsorship money. It actually feels pretty gross seeing these numbers with that in mind.

Main Card

Leon Edwards ($350,000 + no win bonus = $350,000) def. Kamaru Usman ($500,000)
Paulo Costa ($65,000 + $65,000 win bonus = $130,000) def. Luke Rockhold ($200,000)
Merab Dvalishvili ($99,000 + $99,000 win bonus = $198,000) def. Jose Aldo ($400,000)
Lucie Pudilova ($23,000 + $23,000 win bonus = $46,000) def. Wu Yanan ($20,000)
Tyson Pedro ($43,000 + $43,000 win bonus = $86,000) def. Harry Hunsucker ($12,000)

Preliminary Card

Marcin Tybura ($120,000 + $120,000 win bonus = $240,000) def. Alexandr Romanov ($36,000)
Jared Gordon ($47,000 + $47,000 win bonus = $94,000) def. Leonardo Santos ($44,000)
Sean Woodson ($24,000) vs. Luis Saldana ($14,000)
Ange Loosa ($12,000 + $12,000 win bonus = $24,000) def. A.J. Fletcher ($10,000)

Early Preliminaries

Amir Albazi ($16,000 + $16,000 win bonus = $32,000) def. Francisco Figueiredo ($14,000)
Aoriqileng ($12,000 + $12,000 win bonus = $24,000) def. Jay Perrin ($12,000)
Victor Altamirano ($10,000 + $10,000 win bonus = $20,000) def. Daniel Lacerda ($10,000)

Paulo Costa Says Khamzat Chimaev Fights Smaller Opponents So He Can Bully Them

UFC middleweight Paulo Costa got into it with Khamzat Chimaev at the UFC Performance Institute this week — and he’s not about to stay quiet when it comes to “Borz.”

Speaking to The Mac Life, Costa accused Chimaev of targeting smaller opponents.

“I know you just want to fight small guys, short guys, shy guys like Burns,” Costa told the website. “Guys who you can beat and be a bully, but I’m not. I’m a big one, I’m the biggest middleweight in the UFC so you cannot bully me. When you show up, I will be here, ready for you because you are a ‘Gourmet Chechen,’ you are a fake gangster so that’s it.

“I know this guy don’t want this fight. He will try and fight somebody else who has no grappling, no jiu-jitsu, no wrestling. I have nothing more to say about that guy. I’m fresh, I can fight him with just one hand because it’s broken, but I don’t care man.”

Death of Queen Elizabeth II Postpones Shields Boxing Match

Boxing champ Claressa Shields, who also competes in MMA under the PFL banner, has seen her bout with Savannah Marshall postponed due to death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen, 96, passed away Thursday, and the entire United Kingdom has entered an official mourning period.

Elizabeth served as Queen for over 70 years, ascending to the throne at just 25. Shields vs. Marshall now has a new provisional date of October 15, per a report by ESPN.

“Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II was an iconic and unrivaled leader for our nation and an inspiration for women all over the world,” British promoter Ben Shalom of Boxxer said in a statement. “Her leadership and her strength of character showed that there were no limits to what women can accomplish.”

Ciryl Gane Out Until 2023

Tai Tuivasa apparently has a very hard head.

French heavyweight Ciryl Gane, who knocked Tuivasa out in the third round of the pair’s UFC Paris main event just over a week ago, will be out until 2023 with a broken hand. Gane injured the appendage during the bout.

On the plus side, “Bon Gamin” says he’ll use the time off to heal up some other injuries as well.

So I'll be out of action for a few months guys, to heal my hand that broke during the fight with Tai. I will use that time to heal some other injuries as well and come back stronger than ever in 2023 💪🏽

I'm coming back for that belt, and I'm not going ANYWHERE 👑 pic.twitter.com/V1VvLZtBVk

— Ciryl Gane (@ciryl_gane) September 9, 2022

UFC Paris recap

The latest Cageside Live recapped UFC Paris, featuring one of the best heavyweight fights in recent memory.

The post Sunday MMA Quick Hits: Ciryl Gane Out with Broken Hand, Costa Says Chimaev Bullying Smaller Foes appeared first on Cageside Press.

Shields was paired up with Mexico’s Abigail Montes, in one of just four non-title fights featured at the event — and the only non-title fight on the main card.

Early on, Montes stayed on the outside, circling, while Shields held center, working her 1-2. Montes was out of range early on, and fired a leg kick before Shields pressed forward. The pair would clinch, with Shields using an underhook to put Montes against the fence. Montes then got an underhook of her own, clasping her hands for a body lock, but she couldn’t get Shields down. They’d spend the remainder of the round in this position, which might have been a moral victory, but on the scorecards, it was Montes in control.

Shields charged forward to open round two, firing off a few punches before Montes tied her up again. Shields, again, showed some impressive takedown defense. This time, she was able to turn her opponent and create space, then charge in firing a combination. Shields was taking some big swings, but that opened her up to Montes shooting a takedown out in the open. She landed it; Shields quickly shrimped back to the fence. Montes dropped ground n’ pound, and with just under 30 seconds in the round, Shields powered up.

Round three had Shields again firing some big punches, but loading up, she was opening herself up to takedown attempts. Montes nearly scored a takedown, then drove Shields up against the cage as she had in the first two frames. This time, Shields got underhooks in, moved Montes to center and briefly landed a takedown of her own. Back in the open, her hands were going again, again, a big swing led to a takedown. Montes closed out the round on top, moving to full mount and dropping serious ground n’ pound until the bell. In the end, her game plan of capitalizing on Shields’ mistakes, and winning the positional battles along the fence, paid off.

ABIGAIL MONTES UNLOADS!#PFLChampionship LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN2 & ESPN
🌍 https://t.co/WfOt9XBfzk pic.twitter.com/Iisiou7yci

— PFL (@PFLMMA) October 28, 2021

Claressa Shields will likely learn a valuable lesson from that fight: less is more. Fewer big swings leaving her open to takedowns, and she might have had a different result. Through two fights, Shields still looks like a boxer getting the fundamentals down; if she can build from this loss, she’ll still have plenty of upside.

Official Result: Abigail Montes def. Claressa Shields by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

The post PFL Championship 2021 Results: Abigail Montes Fights Smart Game Plan, Beats Claressa Shields appeared first on Cageside Press.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist boxer Shields returns to the PFL smart cage for her second professional MMA fight on Wednesday against Abigail Montes. However, another popular name in boxing has been tied to Shields for the past couple of months.

Last month, at the PFL championship official press conference, Shields said she would “never fight on the undercard of Jake Paul” and that suggested that she could beat up the Youtuber-turned-boxer.

On Monday, Shields doubled down when a reporter asked her to react to people being surprised at her comments last month.

“Please. I don’t know what world people live in which a man who has not been to the Olympics, a man not fought professional-like; there are a lot of women in boxing who can beat up men, especially a regular old joe like Jake Paul. Come one, it don’t make sense,” Shields told reporters during PFL 2021 World Championship media day. “If I were to spar Jake, which I know is too much to actually get a fight with him because that would be too embarrassing. But if we were to spar, I could use one hand, my jab. I don’t have to use my banger. I use my jab, and I can out jab, out hook, and out uppercut him.”

“Embarrass him. That’s how skilled I am. It’s not a shot at Jake Paul like, ‘Oh, you’re trash.’ It’s like, you’re not a great as me. You’re not as great as a boxer as me and if you are, go to the Olympics. Go. I’ve sparred against those guys too, who are Olympic silver and gold medalists. Jake Paul couldn’t grace the ring with those guys because they would destroy him, just like I would.”

“It’s not disrespectful. I’m a skilled boxer; respect it,” finished Shields. “Just because I’m a woman, don’t get it trippin now.”

Watch the full PFL 2021 World Championship media day appearance from Claressa Shields above. More coverage can be found below. The event takes place this Wednesday, October 27, 2021, in Hollywood, FL.

The post PFL Championship 2021: Claressa Shields Doubles Down, Says She Could Embarrass Jake Paul In Boxing appeared first on Cageside Press.

It’s another key step in the development of Shields (1-0) in MMA, the rare pro boxer trying to make the transition the other way. Shields remains a multi-time, multi-weight champion in boxing (not to mention a two-time Olympic gold medalist).

Just don’t ask about her boxing on a Jake Paul undercard. That’s a topic that came up during Wednesday’s PFL 2021 World Championship Press conference, and an idea that Shields, who is 11-0 as a pro boxer, immediately shot down.

“Don’t ever disrespect me. I would never fight on the undercard of Jake Paul,” Shields exclaimed. “I’m a three-time division world champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist in boxing.”

Shields didn’t stop there. The original question had drawn comparisons to Amanda Serrano, another world class pro boxer who has made the switch to MMA. Serrano recently competed in boxing on the Paul vs. Woodley Triller Fight Club card.

“I would never fight on the undercard of Jake Paul, and I don’t know what Amanda Serrano’s purse was, I think it was $75,000, $100,000 — I would never fight another boxing match for that much money, because I’m worth so much more. I’m a million dollar fighter,” Shields replied. “Before I get on the undercard of a guy having a circus show— no disrespect to Tyron Woodley, no disrespect to Jake Paul, but I’m a real boxer. I could beat up Jake Paul at the weight class I’m at right now.”

“So no, I would never fight on the undercard of somebody who does not possess the skills or the accomplishments that I have.”

You can check out today’s full PFL World Championship 2021 press conference below. The 2021 Championship card takes place on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL.

The post PFL’s Claressa Shields Says She’ll Never Fight on Jake Paul Undercard, Could Beat Him Up “Right Now” appeared first on Cageside Press.

The world championship boxer and two-time Olympic gold medalist will fight as part of the PFL’s August 27 card. MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani was first to report the news.

No opponent has been named for Shield’s sophomore outing in MMA, which will take place in Florida at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL.

Shields (1-0), who is undefeated in boxing with multiple world titles to her name, made her debut at PFL 4 just weeks ago. There, she defeated journeywoman Brittney Elkin via TKO — the very same opponent who welcomed fellow crossover star Kayla Harrison to mixed martial arts a few years back.

Unlike Harrison, Shields appeared less than dominant in her debut, spending a lot of time dealing with the grappling attacks of Elkin. However, in the third and final round, she found a way to win when it mattered, and not surprisingly, her striking looked miles beyond her opponent.

Although Shields is competing at lightweight, her bouts are not part of the PFL’s current 155lb tournament for women, which features names like Harrison and Cindy Dandois. Instead, the league is following the same blueprint they took with Harrison, giving Shields standalone fights as she gets her toes wet in the sport.

The PFL’s August 27 event will host the heavyweight and women’s lightweight semifinal fights for the 2021 season. That means that Shields and Harrison are likely to end up competing on the same card.

The post PFL Star Claressa Shields Set for Sophomore MMA Fight in August appeared first on Cageside Press.

Crazy might be one way to look at Shields’ MMA debut. Suddenly the biggest star on the card with the loss of Anthony Pettis and Lance Palmer, the boxing champion and fledgling mixed martial artist had her coming out party at PFL 4.

It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t always pretty. But when it counted, Shields got the job done. Specifically in the third round, when Shields stuffed a takedown attempt, and began unloading with right hands.

One after another after another hit home. Opponent Brittney Elkin, who had found considerable success with her ground game through the opening two frames, even mounting the boxer, could do nothing but cover up. Shields continued to rain down right hands until the ref had seen enough.

The fight started out on a different note. Within about a minute, Elkin had taken the boxer down. After about 90 seconds or so, Shields got to her knees and powered up. She wouldn’t stay up long. Perhaps foreshadowing the eventual finish, Shields would later wind up throwing punches while in a clinch on her knees. But by the end of the round, she had been mounted, and finished the frame flat on her back.

Sharp right hands from the boxer opened up the second, but once again, she would spend most of the round on her back. Elkin managed even more time in mount in the second frame. What she could not do, however, was find the much-needed submission and finish the fight.

Shields steeled herself heading into the third. “When that third round came, I said ‘I’m about to dog her,” she said following the win. Shields knew she had lost the first two rounds, “but I’m not losing this fight.”

She didn’t, likely ensuring at least a second go in MMA at the very least. The plan all along for the Olympic gold medalist boxer has seemingly been to follow the Kayla Harrison blueprint: take standalone fights, and build experience prior to debuting in the season format. Shields might have to put a little more work in than Harrison from the looks of things, but the potential is there.

The post PFL 4: Claressa Shields Spends Most of Fight On Her Back, Finds A Way to Win appeared first on Cageside Press.