Claressa Shields
T-Rex
USA
MMA experiment trending south
Shields lost to Abigail Montes via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) at the PFL Championships on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale.
ANALYSIS
As a feature bout in the championships, but without a title on the line, Shields largely underwhelmed as roughly a (-200) favorite. She got her fair share of shots off early and likely won Round 1, but her inability to defend takedowns and work up from her back was her downfall in Rounds 2 and 3. She also finished Round 3 in terrible position, with Montes in full mount raining down ground-and-pound. Instead of trying to work up from her back, Shields all too often relies on throwing strikes, which simply isn't an effective strategy at this level. It's unclear if we'll see her back in 2022 or if a return to boxing is on the table.
As a feature bout in the championships, but without a title on the line, Shields largely underwhelmed as roughly a (-200) favorite. She got her fair share of shots off early and likely won Round 1, but her inability to defend takedowns and work up from her back was her downfall in Rounds 2 and 3. She also finished Round 3 in terrible position, with Montes in full mount raining down ground-and-pound. Instead of trying to work up from her back, Shields all too often relies on throwing strikes, which simply isn't an effective strategy at this level. It's unclear if we'll see her back in 2022 or if a return to boxing is on the table.
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Comes from behind in debut
Shields defeated Brittney Elkin via TKO (punches) at 1:44 of Round 3 at PFL 4 2021 on June 10 in Atlantic City.
ANALYSIS
Shields is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in boxing but decided to make the jump to MMA at the age of 26. She'll get some of the best training in the world at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but her debut performance showed she still has miles of work ahead in the grappling department. Taking on a fighter who entered with a 3-6-0 professional record, Shields was taken down and thoroughly controlled on the mat for pretty much the entirety of the first two rounds. While she threw with some power off her back, it was clear she lacked the requisite skills to get back to her feet. Still, things ended up going her way when she was able to connect for the third-round finish. While she'll come away with the win, it might be a while before she's a serious contender for the $1 million lightweight prize the PFL is offering for the division's tournament winner.
Shields is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in boxing but decided to make the jump to MMA at the age of 26. She'll get some of the best training in the world at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but her debut performance showed she still has miles of work ahead in the grappling department. Taking on a fighter who entered with a 3-6-0 professional record, Shields was taken down and thoroughly controlled on the mat for pretty much the entirety of the first two rounds. While she threw with some power off her back, it was clear she lacked the requisite skills to get back to her feet. Still, things ended up going her way when she was able to connect for the third-round finish. While she'll come away with the win, it might be a while before she's a serious contender for the $1 million lightweight prize the PFL is offering for the division's tournament winner.