Shields: ‘Expect Me To Be Just As Great As I Am In Boxing’

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields, who recently added the IBF Super Welterweight title to her ever-growing list of championships, will finally make her mixed martial arts (MMA) debut for Professional Fighters League (PFL) on June 10.

Opposing “T-Rex” on the ESPN2 broadcast will be former Bellator MMA bruiser Brittney Elkin (3-6), no stranger to PFL, having previously faced Kayla Harrison back in June 2018 in what marked the cagefighting debut for the former Olympic judoka.

“The PFL fans can expect me to go out there and be just as great as I am at boxing and have that same confidence,” Shields said. “I’m a fighter at heart, I’m not gonna just go in there and bow down to Brittney. I’m a dog, I go in there and scrap. I haven’t lost a fight since I was 17 years old. I’m 26.”

Shields vs. Elkin, scheduled for three-rounds inside Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ, is considered a showcase fight and will not be part of the PFL 2021 regular season tournament.