Claressa Shields is able to combat Cris Cyborg in 2025.
Coaching companions as soon as upon a time, the connection between Shields and Cyborg grew to become 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 desires the clout,” Shields instructed the Pound 4 Pound podcast not too long ago. “That’s what Cris Cyborg desires. Ain’t no one being attentive to no Cris Cyborg no extra. She’s previous and I’m new. I’m popping proper now. She’s a hater. And after 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 desires to combat me,” Shields continued. “Effectively, bitch come do it! Come combat me! I don’t perceive what we’re ready on. She’s like, ‘Oh, I need you to return to MMA.’ No, you fool. I’m not going to MMA. You stated you’d 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 considered among the best feminine boxers on the planet. Nonetheless simply 29 years previous, Shields has additionally flirted some with MMA, taking three fights within the PFL, together with a cut up choice 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 document.
Given their respective backgrounds, it’s clear that Shields would have an enormous benefit in a boxing match, whereas Cyborg can 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 acquired an excessive amount of expertise. I don’t have sufficient time to be taught it. If I used to be higher on the bottom — I simply don’t have the time to try this stuff. I’ve educated possibly a 12 months full-time doing jiu-jitsu and all that stuff…
“Boxing is a extra honest sport. How is it extra honest? In boxing, you’ve acquired your left and your proper. In MMA, she’s acquired her left, her proper, her elbows, her knees, her kicks, the bottom recreation. All her expertise in MMA, versus me who, I’ve solely been doing MMA a 12 months and a half, two years. …
“However the factor is, lord is aware of, I might f*ck Cris Cyborg up in a avenue combat.”
Whether or not or not that’s true, we might by no means know; nonetheless, we might discover out who wins in a boxing match.
After beating Larissa Pacheco in PFL earlier this 12 months, there aren’t a variety 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 finished.
“I’m entertaining it,” Shields stated. “I don’t know why she desires to make this entire facade of that. To start with, why do I acquired to be frightened of Cris Cyborg? Make it make sense! What am I imagined to be frightened of? I’m greater than you! I’m stronger than you! I’m higher than you! In a boxing ring? I hold telling her deliver her ass and are available on. Do it fast. Hurry up. Come and combat me. It’s not onerous to make a combat with me.
“She stated she desires to combat at 154. I combat Feb. 2 in Flint, Michigan, up at heavyweight, 175, for the undisputed championship. Then guess what? She will be able to get her ass kicked Feb. 3, the subsequent day. It’s easy.”
