At age 26, it’s fair to say that Claressa Shields has accomplished a hell of a lot in life. She won gold for the USA at two Olympic games and had an amateur boxing record of 77-1. After this, she then went into professional boxing and dominated again, leaving with various WBO and WBC titles and an untarnished 11-0 record.
So, what happened next? After this, she turned her eyes to the world of MMA and is set to make her debut on June 10th, 2021 in PFA 4 against Brittney Elkin. This is where things get a little interesting for Shields, as it happens that Elkin is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has trained for years. Shield began training the art in late 2020. Undoubtedly, she can dominate Elkin standing up, but on the ground, Elkin surely has more experience and skill.
This is where Shields unwavering faith in her ability kicked in. Just last year she was interviewed by ESPN and said “I can still learn that stuff. It really depends on how long it takes you to become a Jiu Jitsu black belt. If you go to a Jiu Jitsu class and you’re being taught every single day, 365 days, you know maybe two years you can become a black belt. It really depends on you, I’m a quick learner.”
After this statement, she was pictured training alongside UFC Champions Holly Holm in a gi, and the legendary Jon Jones. It’s clear that she wants to be the best in MMA and is therefore taking her BJJ training incredibly seriously. Training out of the Jackson Wink gym, it’s undoubted that she will come from good pedigree.
With this said and done, it will be interesting to follow her BJJ training and MMA career. Undoubtedly, she is a very talented fighter with a great mentality. However, is it a case of biting off more than she can chew? Only time will tell.
