Claressa Shields suffered her first professional mixed martial arts loss. The American lost by split decision to Abigail Montes as part of the Professional Fighters League's MMA night. After three rounds, the judges tallied 29-28 in favor of Shields and 29-28 twice in favor of Montes.
The bout was a tightly fought fierce battle, but Montes made sure her opponent didn't get a chance to box. Initially, Shields defended against takedowns, but in the third round, she allowed herself to be knocked to the ground, which determined the outcome of the fight.
This was the second MMA bout for the three-weight world champion in boxing. The American will return to the ring on December 11 in Birmingham, where her opponent will be Ema Kozin (21-0-1, 11 KOs). Shields is set to cross gloves with Savannah Marshall next year.
