Claressa Shields Says She’s 'Done' with MMA

It appears that Claressa Shields' brief dalliance with mixed martial arts has reached its end.

During an appearance on "The Ariel Helwani Show” on Monday, the multi-division world champion boxer revealed that she won’t be competing in MMA again going forward.

“MMA is done, sweetheart,” she said. “It was fun. I don’t have enough time to train for it. It takes six months, eight months to get ready to defend takedowns. I got a lot better, I put in time. I had my arm broken twice. It was fun, and I enjoyed every fight.

“My family never wanted me to do it. I did it because I wanted to prove a point. I proved that point — to me three times, but you can say twice because I won twice .. I was offered one more fight with the PFL. It would have been against a girl who’s on my level … It takes a lot of time to train for MMA. Time that I don’t have. I did have aspirations of being PFL MMA world champion and having a fight with Kayla Harrison one day, or Larissa Pacheco. I did have those dreams and did have aspiration but just not enough time. I’m great already in boxing and to be great like that in MMA, I would have to train at least three to four years consistently.”

Shields made her MMA debut in 2021 and compiled a 2-1 record under the Professional Fighters League banner. She most recently appeared at the PFL vs. Bellator event in February 2024, when she defeated Kelsey De Santis via split decision. She also earned a third-round TKO win over Brittney Elkin and lost a split decision against Abigail Montes. Shields faced off with recent PFL signee Savannah Marshall — a former boxing opponent — but it looks like that matchup will not come to fruition in the cage.

“T-Rex” is much more accomplished in the Sweet Science. Shields has held championships in five different weight classes while compiling a 16-0 record. Her career is also the subject of a film entitled “The Fire Inside.”