MMA fighter Abby Montes, the only woman to have defeated Claressa Shields as a professional, believes that the American will likely never lose a fight again.

Shields has branded herself as the ‘GWOAT’, meaning Greatest Woman Of All Time, and has proven that nickname to be accurate with a series of wins as both an amateur and professional. She has picked up two undisputed titles in her paid career as well as two Olympic gold medals in the amateurs, and headlined major arena events in London and Detroit.

And she has even made the rare transition from boxing into MMA, taking on two bouts in the PFL smart cage in 2021 before returning a bigger name than ever to the ring. Generally, the move is made the other way – with MMA fighters making the switch to the ring which is perceived to be an easier outing.

“The weight class that she competes at in boxing is not a very deep division,” Montes explained during an exclusive chat with Mirror Fighting . “So there are not a ton of challengers I can see that can match up with her. So she will probably stay undefeated for a long time.

“For me, Claressa Shields is better pound-for-pound than Katie Taylor. When you take into account her Olympic achievments and all of the world titles she’s won in boxing she definitely has the edge over Katie Taylor and my choice would be Claressa as the pound-for-pound No.1.”

Montes defeated Shields when she was just 21 to bring her MMA record to 3-0, but has lost on the judges’ scorecards twice since that famous victory. After almost a year out of the octagon, she returns on Thursday night in Atlanta against the debuting Brandy Hester on the undercard of Brendan Loughnane’s cage comeback.

“That was a huge benefit to my career,” Montes said of the Shields fight. “That was a big fight and a big moment for me to get that win. It’s brought more attention and more eyes to my career – I use that as motivation and let people use it as an introduction into Abigal Montes from that night so they can follow me along and see how much I’ve improved and how much better I become.”

After the fight, Shields stepped back into the boxing ring, where her star has risen to new heights with massive headline fights in the UK and America. She defeated Savannah Marshall in front of a packed out O2 Arena in London last year before a homecoming in her native Detroit that attracted over 11,000 fans last weekend.

“I think as the sport of MMA has grown the attention for female fighting in general has gained interest,” Montes said of her opponent’s success. “I think it’s great right now the level of attention that male fights, female fights are getting is phenomenal. It’s amazing to be on a fight card where we have a female main event, it’s beautiful to see.”

As for a rematch? Montes is not so sure if her rival will want to do it again. “I do feel like I’m a thorn in her side for that first loss,” she added. “If that opportunity presents itself I am going to take the challenge head on and I will gladly accept the battle with Claressa again – in boxing? Maybe…”

Flint native Claressa Shields, widely known as the greatest woman boxer in the world, is continuing to chase greatness by heading back to MMA in 2024.

Shields signed a new multiyear deal to compete in MMA for the Professional Fighters League. She debuted in the PFL in 2021 and went 1-1 in her first two fights. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“I am excited to return to a fighter-first organization and I can’t wait to return to the PFL SmartCage,” Shields said in a released statement. “My goal remains unchanged. I will be the first athlete to hold championships in boxing and MMA simultaneously. I have grown so much since my first MMA fight and cannot wait to put my skills on display.”

In her first professional MMA fight, she faced off against Brittney Elkin. Elkin had more MMA experience, but Shield’s experience as a boxer more than made up for it. Shields’ lightning-fast hands made Elkin tentative to initiate offense while standing.

Elkin resorted to taking Shields down to the ground, controlling Shields for the first two rounds. In the third round, Shields was able to defend the takedown of Elkin and began raining blows as soon as she saw an opening. Shields won in the third round when the referee stopped the fight by technical knockout.

The victory was impressive, as not many boxers have the ability venture into the world of mixed martial arts. Shields clearly had some holes in her grappling game but showed heart and resilience to battle back after losing the first two rounds and close the show.

More impressively, Shields is a world champion in the prime of her career, yet is willing to take the challenge of putting herself in unfamiliar territory against opponents who have more experience.

In Shields’ second professional MMA fight, she faced off against Abigail Montes, losing by split-decision on the judges’ scorecards. Montes exploited the inexperience of Shields with a game plan that revolved around closing the distance, smothering and grappling Shields for control on the ground and against the fence.

Shields was able to keep the fight standing in the opening round while out-landing Montes from range. In rounds two and three Montes was able to take Shields down and control her, which was enough to edge Shields on the scorecards. It was Shields’ first loss in pro combat sports.

Shields isn’t giving up on boxing, but she is joining the MMA realm in pursuit of greatness. She has accomplished nearly everything there is to accomplish in her boxing career. With no opponents that can rival her boxing skill, Shields is leveling the playing field by returning to MMA.

“It is a privilege to announce the PFL has re-signed the most dominant women’s boxer in the world, Claressa Shields, to a new multi-year agreement,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said. “Claressa and the PFL share a fighter-first, merit-based value system and take on the world attitude. We are proud to welcome ‘The GWOAT’ back to the PFL and the sport of MMA.”

No matter what happens in MMA, Shields’ legacy is solidified. This is just icing on the cake.