UFC: Claressa Shields To Train With Jon Jones

At just 24 years old, Claressa Shields is already regarded as the female GOAT of boxing. But not content with that, the WBA, WBC, IBF WBO and The Ring middleweight champion is eyeing up a move to MMA, where she has her eye on the female goat of MMA, Amanda Nunes. And with such a huge goal to aim for, the two time Olympic gold medalist boxer plans to set up camp at JacksonWink MMA Academy, to train along side UFC champion, Jon Jones.

Talking to BJPenn.com, Shields said that she had already began picking up new skills but intends to go and train with the UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, at the end of next month.

“I’m starting my training this year, 2020. I’ve been able to catch on to things very fast, learn and I’ve had some great people who have reached out to me. I’ll be going to camp with Jon Jones, I believe, at the end of February just to see if I can get into the whole training thing and do what he does because he’s so great. I’m looking forward to it.”

Shields went on to specify that she has been working on her wrestling and stated how quickly she had picked up the basics.

“I’ve already had my wrestling done with Adaline Gray who was an Olympic wrestler, multiple time world champion wrestler. We did some work together and she was shocked at how quick I caught on to landing a takedown and avoiding a takedown. She was putting everything in my head right there and I thought it would be the worst training ever because I hate when people grab me — just in boxing, being a boxer you want to be free and loose to punch — but when we were working, I wasn’t irritated when she was grabbing me.

“If you teach me how to have some defence, and how I can get the takedown myself, I’m perfectly fine. I don’t like going into anything blind. I learned a lot and I have plenty of video in case I forget, but I’m ready to get super consistent with it.”

Before she really gets her teeth stuck into more training, Shields will be in action this weekend, where she is set to face Ivana Habazin for the vacant WBC and WBO light middleweight titles. Should the undefeated American win, she will become the fastest ever fighter to become a three division world boxing champion.

While Shields has consistently broken records in boxing, succeeding in MMA is now the big motivation for ‘T-Rex’.

“I would say the motivation is success. Just being able to say that I did both: I had enough heart to do boxing and be the best in that, and then I came over to MMA and I kicked ass over here, that’s more of the motivation for me.”

What began six months ago as a boxing challenge to Amanda Nunes, has turned into a challenge to herself to compete with the very best in MMA.

Although Nunes has shown no interest in the fight, if Shields is serious about switching to MMA, training at JacksonWink alongside Jon Jones and Holly Holm, who was also a multi-division boxing world champion, could be the perfect fit.

Do you think we’ll see Claressa Shields compete in MMA this year?


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