Claressa Shields to return to MMA later this month

Flint native and undisputed middleweight boxing champion Claressa Shields will return to the MMA in the Professional Fighters League later this month.

Shields (14-0 boxing, 1-1 MMA) will face off against Kelsey DeSantis (1-1) on Feb. 24 in the lightweight (155 lbs) division.

The main card begins at 3:30 p.m. and live streaming airs on ESPN+ PPV.

Shields hasn’t been inside the SmartCage since October 2021, when she lost a split decision to Abigail Montes. Since then, she beat Ema Kozin, Savannah Marshall and Maricela Cornejo in the boxing ring.

This time around, Shields’ MMA opponent has just as much professional experience as her. The Shields-DeSantis matchup is the first fight on Shields’ multiyear deal with the PFL signed in August 2023. Both Shields and her longtime rival, Savannah Marshall, signed deals with the PFL last year. The deals increase the possibility of the two facing off once again, but in a cage next time.

Widely known as the “GWOAT” (Greatest Woman of All Time), Shields has achieved the highest accolades in her boxing career. She won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. As a pro, she became the first boxer in the four-belt era to win the undisputed world championship in two different weight classes after defeating Marie Eve Dicaire in 2021.

Then she became the first and only boxer in the four-belt era to be crowned undisputed world champion for a third time after beating Savannah Marshall in 2022.

Other boxers are starting to follow in Shields’ footsteps. In July 2023, Terence Crawford became the first man in the four-belt era to win the undisputed world championship in two different weight classes. Shields celebrated the milestone with Crawford after the victory.

However, Shields stands alone in the fact that she is training as a world champion boxer and mixed martial artist simultaneously. Her willingness to brave unfamiliar territory in the pursuit of greatness should be appreciated. For someone who has dominated their craft for several years it takes a lot of courage to learn another discipline.