Comments Thread For: Claressa Shields: I'll Make MMA Debut In Mid-June; Excited To Prove All Doubters Wrong!

[1bad65]

I wish her the best. If she can develop some good defensive wrestling that gets her through a few fights while she continues working on that, she’ll be a HUGE problem.


Womens MMA is largely strike dominated at the elite level and if she takes naturally to takedown defense, being that much better on the feet is a giant asset. The more fights she can stall without using BJJ and wrestling, the more she can make up that deficiency. She has the huge benefit of already being a top level athlete and a FULL TIME professional athlete so she can spend all her time learning. Everyone will gladly spend time with her to get that same time back to work on their boxing.

Many of these women are more grappling focused and are really really stiff on the feet.

I want to see her do well. She’s in the perfect team and whether you like her or not, she’s a tremendous athlete. Good for her

Both of those are so true.

As I said last post, it'll be interesting to see if she can make it to the top level, as I cant recall anyone with boxing as their base art doing so.

Like you, I'm rooting for her. She is definitely hard-working, not arrogant, and seems to be a good person.

[kafkod]

Claressa is never going to get the kind of attention - and money - in boxing that she thinks she deserves, so this seems to be the right move for her. I hope it works out and I don't see any reason why it shouldn't.

I'll be rooting for her, for sure.

[kafkod]

Both of those are so true.

As I said last post, it'll be interesting to see if she can make it to the top level, as I cant recall anyone with boxing as their base art doing so.

Like you, I'm rooting for her. She is definitely hard-working, not arrogant, and seems to be a good person.

She's developed a real chip on her shoulder over the huge differences between male and female boxing in terms of fan interest and financial rewards. I also get the impression there is a likable young woman hiding behind the sour, resentful persona she's adopted lately.

[YNG]

She would get seriously hurt against anyone half decent

Amanda Nunes fights in an empty weightclass and she's like 20 pounds lighter than Shields. Women MMA isn't as deep as people think.

[Boxfan83]

What a difference a new grill can do, Claressa is pretty.

Anyways, boxers have to move A LOT in MMA. Lots of Lateral movement bcuz that lead leg becomes a target. Claressa has that athleticism, she just needs the experience.

[famicommander]

She needs to be matched well.

Dont put her in with a girl with high grappling credentials. Not even one with bad stand-up.

Get her in with a low-level grappler who actually prefers to stand up. That's the best match-up for someone like her.

I'm actually rooting for her to do well. Most high level MMA fighters have bases in sports other than boxing; like wrestling, Judo, or grappling arts, but I don't think any current ones had boxing as their base sport/art.


She's going to have the best hands in any MMA fight she has, period.
But she has to remember two big things; first, her opponents can now set up their punches with kicks and takedown attempts. Second, the gloves are very different. You can't rely on MMA gloves to block like you can with boxing gloves. You have to use more head movement, and less blocking.

You're forgetting Holly Holm.

Amanda Nunes also went from Karate to boxing, then Judo, BJJ, and finally MMA.

[Rapscallion]

I hope that Claressa does very well, and specifically that she becomes the very best female in MMA - winning titles/championships/tournaments or whatever. How she'll do, I don't know, but I would not bet against her.

[1bad65]

You're forgetting Holly Holm.

Amanda Nunes also went from Karate to boxing, then Judo, BJJ, and finally MMA.

Yes, I was.

Thanks for correcting me.

[NearHypnos]

Both of those are so true.

As I said last post, it'll be interesting to see if she can make it to the top level, as I cant recall anyone with boxing as their base art doing so.

Like you, I'm rooting for her. She is definitely hard-working, not arrogant, and seems to be a good person.

Yeah there seems to be a sudden jump from a bunch of wrestlers and bjj girls to sudden elite striking at the top that creates a giant separation and if she can just get past that and really take to grappling, I don’t see why she couldnt be an upper echelon fighter.

She’s like 24 or 25? I imagine she’ll be really formidable by the time she’s 28-29-30 years old. Even decent strikers will be looking to take her down (especially in her first fights) though so lets see what kind of growing pains she experiences in the cage.

Sounds eager and probably has a good enough ego and is young enough to know she’s going to be getting strangled and grinded out grappling wise for the next few years in training. I’m really curious to see it.

[Bain01D]

Amanda Nunes fights in an empty weightclass and she's like 20 pounds lighter than Shields. Women MMA isn't as deep as people think.

Agree it’s not deep, that’s why they will put her in with some not very good fighters, pad her record until she gets a shot at cyborg or someone similar and she will get smoked