Two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-division boxing champion Claressa Shields (10-0, 2 KOs) is serious about her move to MMA, as evidenced by her training with former UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones at JacksonWink in Albuquerque.
Shields tweeted on Monday that it was time for some wrestling training, which captured the attention of none other than wrestling legend Jordan Burroughs.
That’s a hell of an offer! Burroughs is about as decorated as they come in freestyle wrestling. He won Olympic gold in 2012, in addition to four World Championships, two NCAA Division I titles, and three Pan American Games gold medals. The 32-year-old was scheduled to compete at US Olympic trials for Tokyo 2020, but the pandemic has obviously pushed his aspirations for another gold medal back one year.
Shields signed with the Professional Fighters League last week and intends to make her MMA debut in April, when PFL’s second season is scheduled to launch. She also still intends to continue boxing, although there’s no date or venue set for her return to the ring.