An Amanda Nunes tweet has PFL star, Claressa Shields up in arms.
Back in 2019, two-time Olympic gold medalist and undefeated boxer, Claressa Shields said Amanda Nunes (21-4) would “get a rude awakening” if they ever met in the ring. She went on to say, “Amanda Nunes can’t beat me.”. Nunes responded by saying that she had no interest in boxing Shields, but if she wanted to fight, “come see me then.” The following year, Shields said on ESPN’s Max on Sports that she “respects the (MMA) game,” but hearing people say Nunes had the best hands in the game was “disrespectful.”
Shields MMA Debut
The beef between Shields and Nunes continued to escalate and for the past two years, each fighter has taken every opportunity to poke at the other. Now that 26-year-old Shields has made her MMA debut with the PFL on June 10th, talks about a fight with Nunes and the beef between the pair is steadily growing stronger.
Amanda Nunes Tweet Sparks Controversy
Nunes tweeted an embarrassed emoji – presumably mocking Shields’s performance against Brittney Elkin (3-7) at PFL 4 – shortly after the fighter earned her very first victory in MMA. Shields defeated Elkin by third-round stoppage, although her performance showed clear areas of weakness.
😳
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) June 11, 2021
Shields Responds to Amanda Nunes Tweet
After Shields got wind of the Amanda Nunes tweet, she responded during an interview by saying, “If the big dog is looking at me, she’s in more trouble than she thinks, because I don’t know nothing right now.”
Shields went on to say, “That was my first fight, from what I saw, I’m in pretty good standing, and I have a lot of potential and I’m willing to put in the hard work to be at that level. If she’s worried about me already, that’s bad on her part, not mine. Nothing was embarrassing about my performance, a comeback like that. I’d like to see Amanda Nunes have a boxing match, she’d be embarrassed by a lot of girls. If anything she should give me a handclap. I’m not worried about what she thinks and feels.”
The Amanda Nunes tweet sparked a ton of reaction, although she has remained quiet about Shields or her thoughts on the PFL 4 performance since then.
What’s Next for Shields?
PFL announced that Claressa Shields will fight on August 27th in her second MMA performance against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
What’s Next for Nunes?
Nunes faces Juliana Pena (11-4) at UFC 265 on August 7th as she defends her bantamweight title for the sixth time. Although Nunes had not fought at bantamweight class since December 2019, cutting weight shouldn’t be a problem. Pena trash-talked her way into this fight, having called out Nunes multiple times and went as far as to accuse Nunes of “ducking” a fight with her.
When Will We See Nunes vs. Shields?
A Nunes vs. Shields fight won’t happen any time soon, so don’t hold your breath. Shields thinks that she can beat Nunes; Nunes has that same confidence and the skills and UFC record to back it up. Shields does understand that MMA is unique to boxing and that she needs time to learn the new moves critical in the sport.
A bout between the two fighters certainly would be one of the greatest women’s MMA matches to date. Shields can only improve her fighting game with the PFL, making a super fight with the GOAT of women’s combat sports a realistic possibility one day. And there is of course, Cris Cyborg and Kayla Harrison to consider in the whole equation too.
Follow me on Twitter @AmandaG_LWOS for the latest in MMA news. I cover UFC, ONE Championship, Bellator, boxing, and more.
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