Two time Olympic gold medalists Claressa Shields is one of the best prospects in the professional boxing world right now.
Dmitriy Salita is her manager and he believes that Shields could be fighting two division UFC champion Amanda Nunes as early as next year.
“I think sometime in the next six to 12 months,” Salita said to TMZ Sports (via Farah Hannoun of MMA Junkie). “I think both ladies need to embrace it and talk about it, and there needs to be a real plan to make it happen, and to make it the biggest possible event it could be. Claressa wants to be a two-sport star. We’ve just been really building her strategically – her fanbase, her brand – and Claressa is really carrying the women’s sport of boxing on her shoulders.”
Shields has a plethora of amateur and professional boxing experience, but no MMA experience to speak of.
Salita also states that if a bout between Shields and Nunes does come together, it would net a seven figure payday for the boxer.
“Claressa has been making good money from her first fight with me, and progressively as she’s climbing up the ranks,” Salita said. “I think a fight like this, at least for this side, for Claressa, would have to be a seven-figure payday and I think that there’ll be a lot of power and a great statement to say that these women are making so much money.”
Nunes, before a potential bout with Shields lines up, first has to defend the women’s bantamweight title against Germaine De Randamie at UFC 245.
