Undefeated women’s boxing superstar Claressa “GWOAT” Shields fought in her second Mixed Martial Arts fight and lost via split decision to Abigail Montes at the PFL season 2021 event headlined by Kayla Harrison vs. Taylor Guardado.
The majority of the fighting community from boxing to MMA showed support and praise for the multiple weight boxing champion and two-time Olympic Gold medalist for having shown class in defeat and for have the courage to actually try to fight in a different combative sport.
One of the detractors who had no shame in wishing her nothing but negativity is YouTuber turned celebrity boxer Jake Paul.
The undefeated Paul is best known for fighting the likes of former NBA star Nate Robinson, and former MMA champions Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley.
In a tweet right after she lost her PFL fight to Montes, Paul called Shields a “Loser” and called her loss Karma for all the trash she talked about him and congratulated Montes for her win.
Shields and Paul have been going back and forth on social media for a while. One of the moments that really made Shields mad was when a reporter asked her if she would fight on the undercard of a Jake Paul fight and she said she would never do it and found it disrespectful to even suggest it.
One of Shields biggest supporters is UFC head honcho, Dana White, who is currently in Abu Dhabi doing pre-fight media interviews for the upcoming UFC 267: Blachowicz vs. Teixeira Light Heavyweight Championship event on October 30th.
When asked by MMA Fighting his opinion of Claressa Shields losing her Mixed Martial arts fight by split decision on Wednesday, the UFC President had lots of praise and words of encouragement for the undefeated boxing champion.
“Nothing but respect for Claressa Shields,” Dana White told MMA Fighting when asked about her first loss in MMA. “To be looked at as the best female boxer and to come over here [MMA] and to start training and to start to do this, it’s not easy and nothing but respect to for her. She lost a split decision, which is even more impressive that in her second fight she loses a split decision, which means one of the judges thought she won the fight, so nothing but respect for her. She should just keep plugging along and keep training and doing what she’s doing. Obviously she is a very talented, gifted athlete and its crazy anybody is saying anything to her, it’s ridiculous.
White on the other hand ripped Jake Paul for calling Claressa Shields a loser and for insulting the boxing champion on social media for losing in her second MMA fight.
“Jake Paul better be careful, she might knock him out. She might knock him out actually, he better be careful,” joked White.
“So Jake Paul calls Claressa Shields a loser? Claressa Shields is nothing but a winner who actually fought real people in her weight class, her own age, in her own sport, and then goes over to MMA and tries to win a world title, that’s not a loser, that’s a winner.
“When are you [Jake Paul] going to start fighting someone your own age, your own weight, someone that actually fights in your own F–king sport that you’re claiming you are in? Shut the F–k up you goofball. For you to call Claressa Shields a loser is F#$king unbelievable.
“I hope she knocks him out. I hope he runs into her somewhere and she knocks him the F–k out,” Dana White said with a smile.
