The Professional Fighters League announced two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shieldâs re-signing on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
According to the press release, the three-division boxing champ signed a multi-year deal guaranteeing her return to the PFL SmartCage.Â
âIt is a privilege to announce the PFL has re-signed the most dominant womenâs boxer in the world, Claressa Shields, to a new multi-year agreement,â PFL CEO Peter Murray said. âClaressa and the PFL share a fighter-first, merit-based value system and take on the world attitude. We are proud to welcome âThe GWOATâ back to the PFL and the sport of MMA.â
Shields began her MMA career in 2020, learning under the guidance of four-time No-Gi World heavyweight champ Roberto Alencar.
âI am excited to return to a fighter-first organization, and I canât wait to return to the PDFL SmartCage,â Shields said in a statement. âMy goal remains unchanged; I will be the first athlete to hold championships in both boxing and MMA simultaneously. I have grown so much since my first MMA fight and cannot wait to put my skills on display.â
Shields also took to her Instagram to share her excitement about her return.
âThe GWOAT is back! I canât wait to dominate MMA with theÂ
@PFLmma the same way Iâve dominated boxing my whole career! Iâll see you in the Smartcage!âIn addition to Shields, the PFL has some of the biggest names in combat sports on their roster, like Puerto Rican boxer Amanda Serrano and Cameroonian-French MMA fighters Francis Ngannou and CĂ©dric DoumbĂ©.
The Michigan native will make her official PFL SmartCage return in 2024.Â
PFL is gearing up for the 2023 PFL Playoffs on Aug. 18 and 23 at The Theater at MSG in NYC. Viewers can watch on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.