Claressa Shields is able to combat Cris Cyborg in 2025.
Coaching companions as soon as upon a time, the connection between Shields and Cyborg turned acrimonious over the previous few years. That animosity solely ramped up in 2024 with Cyborg calling Shields out for a potential assembly in both the boxing ring or the PFL cage.
However Shields believes it’s all discuss coming from Cyborg.
“She needs the clout,” Shields instructed the Pound 4 Pound podcast lately. “That’s what Cris Cyborg needs. Ain’t no person taking note of no Cris Cyborg no extra. She’s outdated and I’m new. I’m popping proper now. She’s a hater. And once we sparred, I kicked her ass, straightforward. She’s fortunate I didn’t knock her ass out as a result of the way in which she was trying, like a deer up in headlights. …
“She’s speaking about she needs to combat me,” Shields continued. “Properly, bitch come do it! Come combat me! I don’t perceive what we’re ready on. She’s like, ‘Oh, I would like you to come back to MMA.’ No, you fool. I’m not going to MMA. You stated you’ll knock me out if we wore eight-ounce gloves at 154 kilos. I don’t give a rattling if we put on four-ounce gloves, I’m going to sleep Cris Cyborg, as a result of what? She can’t combat. You’re an MMA fighter!”
A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Shields is a five-weight world champion in boxing and extensively thought to be among the best feminine boxers on the planet. Nonetheless simply 29 years outdated, Shields has additionally flirted some with MMA, taking three fights within the PFL, together with a cut up determination win over Kelsey DeSantis again in February.
In distinction, Cyborg is likely one of the most achieved feminine MMA fighters ever, who started dabbling in boxing over the previous few years, with a 4-0 skilled file.
Given their respective backgrounds, it’s clear that Shields would have a giant benefit in a boxing match, whereas Cyborg could be an awesome favourite in an MMA combat. And although Shields clearly has no love for Cyborg at this level, even she acknowledges that going through her in MMA wouldn’t be to her benefit.
“No, I’m not going to combat Cris Cyborg in MMA,” Shields stated. “Why? She’s received an excessive amount of expertise. I don’t have sufficient time to study it. If I used to be higher on the bottom — I simply don’t have the time to do this stuff. I’ve educated possibly a yr full-time doing jiu-jitsu and all that stuff…
“Boxing is a extra honest sport. How is it extra honest? In boxing, you’ve received your left and your proper. In MMA, she’s received her left, her proper, her elbows, her knees, her kicks, the bottom sport. All her expertise in MMA, versus me who, I’ve solely been doing MMA a yr and a half, two years. …
“However the factor is, lord is aware of, I’d f*ck Cris Cyborg up in a avenue combat.”
Whether or not or not that’s true, we could by no means know; nevertheless, we could discover out who wins in a boxing match.
After beating Larissa Pacheco in PFL earlier this yr, there aren’t quite a lot of apparent opponents for Cyborg, and although Shields already has plans for her subsequent boxing bout, “The GWOAT” is prepared to oblige the previous UFC champion after that’s performed.
“I’m entertaining it,” Shields stated. “I don’t know why she needs to make this complete facade of that. To begin with, why do I received to be afraid of Cris Cyborg? Make it make sense! What am I purported to be afraid of? I’m larger than you! I’m stronger than you! I’m higher than you! In a boxing ring? I preserve telling her convey her ass and are available on. Do it fast. Hurry up. Come and combat me. It’s not arduous to make a combat with me.
“She stated she needs to combat at 154. I combat Feb. 2 in Flint, Michigan, up at heavyweight, 175, for the undisputed championship. Then guess what? She will get her ass kicked Feb. 3, the following day. It’s easy.”