Idk man. I think she waits her out to come to boxing since time is on her side &/or train MMA & wait for the next big MMA girl. Cuz Nunes ain't gonna be around much longer. They rarely are in MMA. And she needs a couple years minimum probably to learn to sprawl & learn how to deal with ground tactics & kicking, etc.
But I think if she wants the type of payday she probably deserves she's gonna have to do some freak show sh^t.
Randomly doing a boxing match with Gabi Garcia in Rizen could be an option too. Shields (160-168) gots weight on Nunes (145) but Gabi (200) gots weight on Shields which might make a boxing match between them more compelling.
I don't think Shields can wait out Nunes, because Nunes is making more money than Shields. I think if they don't fight, Nunes will have the higher career earnings because the UFC women's division has much more mainstream buzz than boxing's women division. Holly Holm was a world champion boxer, but she had to crossover to MMA to make big money and people acted like she was a novice/Buster Douglas when she knocked out Rousey.
Her biggest issue is that she's overweight. She has visible fat on her body that she can lose. At 154, she can fight Gabriels again. At 147, she can fight Braekhus.
With that said, Shields-Nunes in the UFC for the inaugural women's lightweight title at 155 would be interesting for both. Especially if Shields can somehow pull it off. Because there's another 2-time Olympic gold medalist fighting in the women's lightweight division in MMA, Kayla Harrison. My oh my. 4 gold medals in one fight. That would be historic.
Nunes is dominant at 135 and 145, I can see the UFC creating a 155 division for her to fight for the inaugural belt in 2020 against legit female MMA fighters.
Shields is only 24, I don't see her moving down in weight going forward, especially for an MMA fight. She's either going to get heavier or maintain her weight, then wait for Gabriels or Braekhus to come to her for big money fights.
I a few years, Nunes vs Shields in the UFC for the inaugural 170 belt: Nunes has the sport advantage, Shields has the weight advantage.
Shields is gonna need a novelty fight sooner or later in the ring or outta it cuz talent wise she's just too big to be in competitive fights very often. I legit thought Hanna Gabriel was her biggest challenge upon turning pro & her dropping Shields proved that but the thing is Shields is only gonna get better and there is NO ONE viable for her to fight already.
Shields probably isn't even in her prime yet. After 38 fights in her 11 year boxing career, Holly Holm went from boxing to MMA at the age of 31. She went 10-0 before losing, and she KO'd Ronda Rousey (which derailed her meteoric rise). Nunes has since KO'd Rousey's career and KO'd Holm as well.
I think Shields should train in MMA for a while and make the superfight with Nunes (who's the biggest female star in combat sports.)
It would be the Greatest female boxer of all time vs the Greatest female MMA fighter of all time.
This quote is really making me consider trying the @ufc ! I had this weird feeling about turning pro a few years ago and I stumbled up on this quote & decided to do it! And then yesterday this same quote reappeared! With all this talk about me and Nunes I had that same feeling. pic.twitter.com/6N7TkR909R— ClaressaT-rexShields (@Claressashields) July 30, 2019
Claressa Shields is only 24 and is maybe the greatest female boxer of all time. Amanda Nunes is already 31 and she fights at 135 and 145, while Shields fights at 160 and 168. It would be a blowout in a boxing match.
If she trains in kickboxing and grappling for a few years, she might be able to have a competitive fight with Amanda Nunes in the UFC, when Nunes is 34 and Shields is 27.
This quote is really making me consider trying the @ufc ! I had this weird feeling about turning pro a few years ago and I stumbled up on this quote & decided to do it! And then yesterday this same quote reappeared! With all this talk about me and Nunes I had that same feeling. pic.twitter.com/6N7TkR909R— ClaressaT-rexShields (@Claressashields) July 30, 2019