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Jon Jones, Amanda Nunes, Teofimo Lopez, and Others React to Claressa Shields’ Successful MMA Debut
Claressa Shields ‘The GWOAT’ staged a prominent MMA debut by beating Britney Elkin via TKO in round three of their PFL bout. However, it wasn’t an easy night for the boxing legend, as she got dominated in the first two rounds.
That said, Shields turned the tables in round three and remained undefeated in her combat career. It earned her appraisals from all over the world, especially from the boxing community. Mostly, MMA fighters make the crossover to the boxing ring, but Shields is one of the very rare athletes to have transitioned from boxing to MMA.
Starting from MMA elites to world champion boxers, everyone had their eyes on ‘The GWOAT’. Following her win, social media exploded with reactions. Here’s a look at them.
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) June 11, 2021
Congrats girl !!! @Claressashields
— Andre S.O.G. Ward (@andreward) June 11, 2021
Major props to @Claressashields . The only boxer with the guts to step into MMA and have an actual fight under their rules.
— MARCOS VILLEGAS (@heyitsmarcosv) June 10, 2021
GWOAT!! With the Ground and pound for the Dub @Claressashields #ShieldsElkin
— Teofimo Lopez (@TeofimoLopez) June 11, 2021
Damn called it! Obviously @Claressashields has a long way to go to develop a full skill set but I am buying Shields stock for sure! https://t.co/2tx5gF8XhX
— Funky (@Benaskren) June 11, 2021
She was down two rounds and stopped her in the third. THE GWOAT @Claressashields #GWOAT
— Kevin MTP Lee (@MoTownPhenom) June 11, 2021
OKAY CLARENZO!!!! @Claressashields GOOD MF WORK!!
— Mikaela Mayer (@MikaelaMayer1) June 11, 2021
Claressa Shields early scouting report from pro debut
Good:
– Composure, patience
– Hand speed, accuracy
– Intuitive GNP
– MMA cardio held up wellBad:
– Pass and mount defense; general grappling
– Scrambling awareness
– Over committed on striking flurries— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) June 11, 2021
Hey. Claressa Shields gets it done. And she was in serious jealousy of losing that fight. Winner winning.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 11, 2021
Claressa Shields vs Britney Elkin- A deeper look
PFL 2021 returned with a bang as Shields became a part of it. However, she didn’t make a good start as Elkin took her to the ground and mauled her. Shields couldn’t offer much in response and suffered a lopsided beat down.
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It didn’t seem to be her night, and many had already predicted the striker to lose. However, Claressa Shields used her chances in the later rounds.
She learned quickly, made the adjustments, and maintained the distance with her opponent brilliantly. Although Elkin was constantly putting pressure, Claressa Shields escaped that. She waited patiently and seized an opportunity in round three. Following a takedown, Shields landed her punches over Elkin, overwhelming her.
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As Elkin offered no offense and couldn’t sufficiently defend herself, the fight had to be called off. Hence, Claressa Shields notched a big win under her fighting resume. While she would continue to box in the future, ‘T-Rex’ can look forward to having even bigger fights in her PFL career.
How would you rate Claressa Shields’s MMA debut on a scale of 1-10? Do you want to see her return to the cage?
Read More | 5 Insane Facts About Claressa Shields You Need to Know
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