The combat sports world was watching last week when multi-time boxing champion Claressa Shields made her mixed martial arts debut but her first fight was anything but easy.
The 26-year-old Michigan native struggled through the first two rounds as opponent Brittney Elkin was able to drag her to the ground, move into the mount on multiple occasions and threaten with strikes and submission from a dominant position on top.
Despite a rough start, Shields still managed to deliver an emphatic finish in the third round after stuffing a takedown attempt from Elkin and then brutalizing her with punches until the fight was stopped.